I know it's been a criminally long time since I updated this story, but life (and video games) got in the way. As an apology, I come bearing a 6000+ word chapter (count them, over 6000 words), which I hope will make up for my prolonged absence. I truly mean it when I say that I am touched by your continued interest in this story. Thank you. xo

fireelfmaiden1: I'm glad you enjoyed it! Sorry about the long wait for the next chapter...

Kassandra Khaos: Lol, Ajsa kind of beats someone up in this chapter? Though not to spite Guy. I'm thrilled you're liking Ajsa; she's so much fun to write. :)

partygirl98: Oh God, has it really been September since I last updated this story? I'm mortified, truly. But chapter 23...yay! Yes, Guy can be infuriating, but we love him anyway. :) I hope this chapter makes up a little for my very long absence.

Summary: Robin, Guy, and Ajsa go to York to free Archer. High jinks, betrayals, and confessions follow.

Enjoy! :) And I promise you won't have to wait another seven months (ouch...) for the next chapter.

Chapter 23: Jail Break

Following their encounter with Malcolm, they returned to Locksley Manor to gather supplies. While Guy and Robin fetched three horses, Ajsa sneaked inside through the kitchen door to pack enough bread, cheese, and dried meat for each of them. She broke off a few pieces of bread for herself, before wrapping the loaf in a clean cloth and placing it into a sack. She met Guy and Robin outside the stables. Gisborne held out a hand to help her onto the horse, but she ignored it and climbed astride the red chestnut gelding with ease.

"Shouldn't a lady ride side-saddle?" inquired Robin. A smirk played upon his lips, which only grew at Ajsa's response.

"I do not see any ladies here, do you?" Although she had addressed the outlaw, Ajsa flashed Gisborne a look of challenge, one that almost invited him to scold her.

But he merely shook his head in fond exasperation. Truthfully, Guy had never been one to follow the conventions of polite society, and he secretly enjoyed that Ajsa did not, either. She flouted what was proper, just as she had flouted his authority.

When Robin and Guy were in their own saddles, she urged her horse into a walk.

"I assume that neither of you has ridden side-saddle before," Ajsa stated. "If one does not have a saddle specifically designed for side-saddle riding, it is exceedingly awkward. One cannot post, because one lacks the required leverage, forcing the rider to bounce and jostle atop the poor horse's back."

"It does look a bit ridiculous," Robin agreed. "But I doubt a woman dressed in layers upon layers of skirts could effectively straddle a horse."

Ajsa nodded. "I can say from personal experience that it is indeed difficult to straddle anything in all the layers of clothing that befit a noblewoman."

Robin choked on his laughter, but Gisborne looked at her sharply.

"Just what have you straddled while wearing so many layers?"

"The question is not what," she said suggestively, "but whom."

"I see," he said stiffly and scowled in his saddle. Needless to say, his mood remained sour for the rest of the day.

#

After a hasty lunch of bread, cheese, and dried pork, the trio was nearing the outlaws' hideaway, deep in the heart of Sherwood Forest. Robin stopped his bay gelding atop a small ridge.

"We go no further, unless I know I can trust you," he warned Gisborne. "I can't just betray the others and bring you to the camp."

"You can trust me," Guy assured him. "Just don't ask me to forgive your father."

Robin's eyes flashed. "Now you listen to me, Gisborne. If we're going to work together, then we have to leave that behind."

"That's easy for you to say. Your father seduced my mother."

"Well, it didn't take much effort, did it?" Robin countered angrily.

In response, Guy shoved the outlaw off his horse, sending the two men tumbling down the hill. They quickly regained their feet and proceeded to hit, kick, and punch each other over the mutual, inflicted hurts from the past. Ajsa watched from her horse, rolling her eyes at their childish antics. She was not terribly concerned by the scuffle, since neither had drawn weapons yet.

Rather, it was the arrival of Robin's gang that concerned her, and with good reason. Much nocked an arrow and sent it whistling towards Gisborne, who only managed to avoid it because Robin had pushed him out of the way. Things happened quickly after that. Ajsa vaulted off her horse, Tuck restrained Guy, and Kate readied her sword to plunge it into his chest.

"No!"

Ajsa's cry rang out, melding with Robin's.

"He killed my brother," Kate spat at them.

"He's one of us," said Robin.

The outlaws looked at him, shocked.

"What?" demanded Little John.

"I said, he's one of us," Robin repeated.

Ajsa glanced between Guy, who looked terrified, and Kate, who still held her blade above his chest. As much as she hated Guy, she trusted and obeyed Robin. With a furious yell, she stabbed her sword into the ground beside Gisborne's head.

Ajsa shouldered past Tuck and Kate to help Gisborne to his feet, while Robin was similarly assisted by Much. They were dirty and sweaty, but the only thing bruised was their pride. After a tense, silent moment, Allan cleared his throat.

"It's good to see you again, Ajsa," he said, flashing her a bright smile, "and you, too, Giz."

Guy scowled at Allan's nickname for him. "Found your way back to Hood after all, did you?"

"You know it," Allan said cheerfully. The others, however, were less genial towards Gisborne, eyeing him with suspicion as Robin led the way to their secret camp.

"So, that's where you've been, then," Little John said, in an accusatory tone. "With him."

"I've been with my father," Robin said.

"I thought your father was dead," said Much.

"So did I."

The survival of Robin's father, however, did not distract Little John.

"He's not one of us, Robin, and he never will be!" he bellowed.

"Gisborne has chosen to join us in our struggle."

"You can't trust him," the big man insisted.

Robin gave him a meaningful glance. "He killed the sheriff."

"And we're almost family, aren't we, Robin?" Gisborne drawled from behind Little John. "We share a brother."

The gang stared at Robin and Guy, a mixture of shock and disbelief on their faces.

Much scoffed. "What? A brother?" Robin nodded. "Both of you?"

"My father...his mother." Before his friends could digest that information, Robin continued. "Our brother is in jail in York, awaiting execution. I promised my dying father that I would rescue him, and I intend to honor it. Gisborne, Ajsa, and I will go to York and bring him back. If it were any of you, you know I'd do the same."

"And who'll bring my brother back to me, Robin?" demanded Kate. "There was no one to stop his execution."

Gisborne strode forward to address Kate. "Look, like it or not, we share a common goal-to destroy Isabella," he stated. "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You don't have to like me. I don't like you. But you need me."

"We don't need you," Much said primly.

Allan, who was more open-minded towards Gisborne, disagreed.

"If he can help rid us of Isabella-,"

"He's pure evil, Robin!" Kate protested.

"Do you still believe good conquers evil?" Guy asked rhetorically. "You need me to defeat Isabella, and, to do that, we need our brother in York."

"Who is this brother, Robin?" inquired Tuck.

"His name is Archer. We've never met," Robin explained. "All I know is he's traveled far and wide and has a knowledge of exotic weapons he's brought back from the East."

"Isabella's forces are far greater than ours. Archer's weapons will make us stronger," Guy rationalized.

Much folded his arms across his chest. "We all go."

"And who will protect the people from Isabella?" Robin asked.

"Well, who's going to protect you?"

"Much, I'll be safe."

"Besides, I will be with him," Ajsa said, as if that would reassure Robin's friends. Much stared at her doubtfully. "You can trust me, Much. I promise you that Robin will come to no harm from Guy."

"Really?" snorted Kate. "And just how can you make such a promise?"

Ajsa glared at her. "Because I know Guy in a way that you do not."

"As his bed-warmer, you mean," Kate said acerbically.

Gisborne was about to jump to Ajsa's defense, but, as if she had known his intention, she offered him a small smile. Against his better judgment, he was placated.

"Yes," agreed Ajsa, her admission startling Kate into silence, "and in other ways, as well."

Robin passed a wary glance between the two women. Satisfied that the confrontation was over, he said reasonably, "No one is going to recognize Gisborne and me in York."

And that was how Ajsa found herself riding sixty-nine miles in three days. When they could, they followed the road, but the forest was usually safer. It would've been disastrous indeed should they be waylaid by bandits or guards. By early afternoon of the third day, they reached the York Road.

"Tollhouse," observed Gisborne.

Robin shot him a wary glance. "It's not worth the risk."

"Well, they collect money for Isabella. Robbing them is robbing her."

"Why do we have to rob anyone," she protested.

"We're outlaws now," said Guy, "and that's what outlaws do."

"We only rob the rich, Gisborne," Robin corrected him. "And anyway, Ajsa, Isabella sentenced you to death, along with her brother. Why do you speak up for her?"

"Because we are both women," she said simply. "Isabella, too, has suffered at the hands of men, so if she has become cruel and vindictive, she learned it from them."

"You haven't," Guy pointed out.

Ajsa's eyes darkened. "You have no idea what I have done." Then, she spurred her horse into a walk and said, "If we are to rob the toll-collector, we should do it now while there is no one else around."

Guy and Robin exchange a look of curiosity mixed with concern, then followed her down the road to the tollhouse.

After relieving the toll-collector of silver, the trio entered the city and led the horses slowly along the streets. Discovering Archer's location was not difficult; York, like most other medieval cities, housed its prisoners in the castle dungeons.

"He's inside that," said Gisborne, inclining his head towards York's large, stone castle.

"Well, it can't be that difficult, can it?"

Ajsa glanced at the castle, before stating, "I shall find a place to tie the horses, and you find a way inside."

Gisborne's hand caressed hers as she took the reins from him.

"Be careful, Ajsa," he said softly, so that only she could hear. "We'll meet you in the tavern when we're finished."

He watched her lead the horses away, until Robin nudged his shoulder.

"You really do care for her," he observed, his voice tinged with surprise.

"I really do," Guy affirmed. For once, neither a frown nor a scowl marred his features during his interaction with the outlaw.

"If I hadn't seen it for myself, I wouldn't believe it."

Gisborne cast a sidelong glance at Robin. "I cared for Marian, too."

"I know," sighed Robin, "yet she still met her end at the point of your sword."

"I know."

Further conversation was prevented as they neared the castle. Peering around a corner, they glimpsed a half-dozen, well-armored men.

"The place is heavily fortified. There are guards on every entrance," said Gisborne.

"I know," replied Robin. "I think the only way in is to get invited."

"Even if we are, how do we get into the dungeon?"

Robin looked contemplative. "I've no idea," he said finally. "Come on, let's find Ajsa. Maybe she'll have some suggestions."

"I highly doubt she will," muttered Gisborne. "As far as I know, she's never been in a situation that would require her to sneak into a dungeon."

"Don't underestimate her, Gisborne," Robin advised him, smiling for the first time that day. "She did, after all, engineer her own escape from Vaisey."

They found Ajsa sitting at a table in the tavern, eating a bowl of stew with a thick slice of brown bread. From the way she was wolfing down her food, Gisborne suspected that the past three days of hard riding had taken their toll on her. He felt a twinge of guilt.

Spying them, Ajsa paused eating long enough to ask, "So, did you find a way inside?"

Robin shook his head and sat down beside her, while Gisborne took the chair across from her. Guy ordered bread, ale, and roast pork for the table, then explained the situation.

"We've got two fairly difficult problems. One, we don't know what he looks like."

"We'll recognize him by his birthmark," Robin assured Gisborne.

"An arrow, right?" asked Ajsa, spearing a chunk of pork onto her knife.

Robin nodded. "Don't worry, Gisborne, we'll find him when we get there."

"Which brings us to problem two."

Before Guy could elaborate, a chair sailed past them, narrowly missing their heads, and crashed against the wall. A brawl had erupted between two patrons, who knocked over a neighboring table. Robin and Gisborne proclaimed their outrage with identical exclamations, amusing Ajsa, but her humor vanished when they were somehow dragged into the disagreement, as well. Food was thrown at her, forcing her to duck. Irritated, she snatched up a rib bone from their pork roast and hurled it into the fray.

As the scuffle grew more violent, Gisborne pulled her down behind their table. Men were shoving each other now, while wooden plates and mugs collided with skulls. Robin watched the proceedings with a keen, if cautious, eye.

"I think I have a plan," he announced.

"I'm listening," said Guy.

"You get arrested, get taken to the dungeons, find Archer, and we'll bribe the guards and come to see you."

"And then what?"

"And then we escape," Robin said impatiently.

"How?"

"Well, I don't know. I haven't worked that out yet, have I?" snapped Robin.

"Forget it," Guy said, standing. "It'll never work."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not going to get myself arrested."

"Why not?"

Guy sat down and took a long drink of his ale.

"Because you'll leave me in the dungeon."

Robin also sat down. "I will not leave you in the dungeon. You have my word."

Ajsa watched as two guards tried to calm the commotion, but the brawlers ignored them in favor of tackling each other.

"You see, that's where this falls down."

"All right, I'll get myself arrested, then," Robin relented.

"That sounds like a better plan," said Guy, mollified.

"And then you come to get me out."

Guy made a noncommittal gesture, and Robin gave a humorless laugh.

"See?" remarked Gisborne. "Suddenly it's not such a good idea, is it?"

Ajsa slammed her fist down onto the table, startling Guy and Robin from their banter.

"For pity's sake," she groaned, "if you two do not shut up, I shall get myself arrested just to escape this idiotic discussion." Guy opened his mouth to reply, but Ajsa cut him off with a satisfied smile. "Actually, the more I think about it, the more that solution seems the most ideal."

"No."

Her companions' refusal was swift and simultaneous.

Although she felt mildly insulted that they had not even considered her idea, she hid it behind a resolute mask.

"Then stop bickering and decide on a plan," she hissed at them. "Your brother's life is at stake."

Chastised, Robin met Guy's gaze. "You know, I'm not sure I trust you yet," he said. Then he picked up a loaf of bread and lobbed it at one of the guards. "But we're about to find out."

Gisborne smirked, clapping Robin on the shoulder. "Come on, Ajsa," he said and strode smugly towards the door.

Ajsa glanced at Robin, who was watching Guy with a mixture of concern and curiosity. His expression morphed into one of amusement when, seconds later, the guards grabbed Gisborne's arms and dragged him from the tavern.

Ajsa smacked Robin's shoulder.

"Oi, What did I do to deserve that?" he asked. His grin vanished as he rubbed the sore muscle.

"Are you serious? You allowed the guards to believe Gisborne had accosted them with the bread."

"Well, yeah," said Robin, smiling once again. "You told us to make a decision, so I did." Ajsa fixed him with a withering stare. He sighed. "You know as well as I that Gisborne would never have volunteered to be arrested. Besides, I didn't know who the guards would detain. It could've just as easily been me."

"Except Guy, not you, was walking towards them."

Robin smirked. "True, but that wasn't my doing, was it?"

"I would not have allowed him to leave you in the dungeon," remarked Ajsa. "But no matter your intention, we now have to figure out a way to rescue two people from jail."

#

After wandering the town for an hour, Robin and Ajsa spied two, well-dressed man concluding a business deal, during which a coin purse exchanged hands.

"All right, here's the plan," said Robin. "We ambush that man, take the coin purse, disguise ourselves, and use the money to bribe the sheriff into releasing Gisborne."

Ajsa arched a skeptical brow. "Do I look as though I could pass as a man?"

Robin considered her appearance, but, to his credit, restricted his scrutiny to her face. He grinned.

"No, but surely a man who wears brocade and furs has a female companion."

When their target re-entered his home, they followed him. While Robin made quick work of the man, Ajsa searched the house for suitable clothing. It seemed Robin was indeed correct, for she found a wardrobe full of gowns in a bedroom on the second floor. Ajsa donned the simplest one, a blue-gray, woolen dress that was nevertheless finer than the kirtles she wore, and fashioned her hair into a braided bun, over which she draped a white, linen veil. The veil served two purposes-to hide her unwashed hair and to give her the appearance of a proper, English lady.

Satisfied, Ajsa joined Robin downstairs. He was adjusting the fur collar of his ornate tunic, and, when he saw her, a grin formed on his face.

"Is this how you dressed as a noblewoman in Hungary?"

"I was cleaner," she said, "but yes, more or less. I also had a few silk gowns that I brought back with me from the Holy Land."

"We could both stand to be a bit cleaner," remarked Robin. He dipped his thumb into a half-drunk goblet of water to wipe away the dirt on Ajsa's face, and she did the same for him.

"Well, I do believe we're as presentable as we can be," he said. Affecting the crisp accent of the highborn, he offered his arm to Ajsa. "Shall we sally forth, my lady?"

She laughed and placed her hand demurely on his arm. "We shall, my lord."

It did not take them long to find the Sheriff of York, and, thanks to their new and improved attire, they were granted an audience with him.

"You see, the truth is Gisborne just had a bit too much to drink," explained Robin, in that same, ridiculous accent. "And, for that, I am sure he is profoundly sorry."

"An assault on one of the sheriff's men is an assault on the sheriff."

"Oh, believe me, I know," Robin agreed. "Would this be enough to salve the indignity of this terrible assault?" He counted out fifteen pieces of silver and stacked them in front of the sheriff.

The sheriff glanced from the money to Robin. "Perhaps..."

"Please, my lord," begged Ajsa, mimicking Robin's accent, "take pity on a poor wife. Accept our apology on my husband's behalf, for I simply do not know how I shall manage without him." She widened her eyes, feigning the most plaintive expression she could, and added a sniffle for good measure. Beside her, Robin struggled to stifle a snicker.

It seemed that their ruse had worked, because the sheriff pocketed the silver and said, "I would be an unjust man indeed to leave such a good wife husbandless. The assault is but a faint memory now, Sir. I thank you for your...sympathy."

"And we thank you for yours," said Robin.

The sheriff ordered a guard to escort them to the dungeons, but, before they left the room, an emissary from Isabella arrived. Robin's brow creased, and he pulled his fur collar up a bit higher, while Ajsa turned her head so that the veil obscured her face. She needn't have hid herself, though, for she did not recognize the man.

They reached the dungeon without incident. The guard unlocked the door, and Robin entered the cell. Guy spared her a disapproving but unsurprised glance and turned his attention to the outlaw.

"We have to hurry," Robin whispered. "One of Isabella's men is here."

"He's over here," said Guy, inclining his head towards the young man chained to the wall.

Robin conversed with him, then went to the guard.

"How much to take him with us?"

"How much do you have?" the guard countered.

Robin dropped a few silver pieces into his hand, but the guard rejected them. He dropped a few more, which were also rejected. After the third refusal, Robin punched him in the nose, and Guy dragged his unconscious body into the cell. Ajsa took the guard's keys and unlocked Archer's shackles.

"Why thank you," he said, with a charming, if cocky, smile. "What's a pretty girl like you doing with my newfound brothers?"

Ajsa rolled her eyes. Before she could fashion a witty response, Robin clapped a hand on Archer's back.

"You can flirt with her later," he said. "We need to go."

"No, he can't," Guy protested.

But Archer ignored him. He was more concerned with the other prisoners.

"Either we all go, or none of us go," he declared.

Robin nodded to Ajsa, and she tossed the keys to one of the inmates. Once all the prisoners were unshackled, Gisborne led them from the dungeons. The Sheriff of York's men were already searching for Robin and Guy, but, for the moment, they were easily avoided.

As they walked, Archer asked questions.

"So, you're a noble who's now an outlaw with no money?"

"Yes," said Gisborne.

"Can you explain the point of that?"

Guy didn't have a chance to reply, because two guards lunged towards them. Archer dispatched them quickly, using techniques that were foreign to both his brothers, and requisitioned one of their swords. Gisborne proffered Ajsa the other one, which she accepted with an amused lift of her eyebrows.

"Where did you learn that, the Orient?" asked Robin.

"Nah," said Archer, twirling his blade, "that's pure English." He addressed Gisborne again. "He doesn't have any money, does he?"

"No, I don't," replied Robin. "I gave up my family's wealth to help the poor."

Archer smiled indulgently. "Of course you did."

They continued along the corridors, and Archer continued his commentary.

"Both of you are mad. I know what poor is. I grew up that way. Neither of you had. There is no honor in being poor, and there's no shame in it, either. If you'd grown up with nothing, you'd know that, and you wouldn't apologize for wanting to have a little money, for dreaming of something better than what you've got."

Without warning, Guy shoved Archer against the wall.

"You know nothing about my life, about what I've endured," he bellowed. "I envy you. Better no family, rich or poor, than a leper father and a mother..." He trailed off, exchanging an uncertain glance first with Robin, and next with Ajsa.

"My mother what?" prompted Archer, his voice a dangerous whisper.

Gisborne's anger softened, and he released his half-brother. "Was killed in a fire."

"What was her name?"

"Ghislaine," he said sadly.

Robin allowed Archer and Guy their moment, but once the rest of the prisoners caught up with them, he urged them to keep moving. Ajsa walked beside Gisborne, her heart hurting for him. Remembering the pain of losing her own mother, she laced her fingers with his. Guy's gaze snapped down to her, to their joined hands, and he sucked in a shocked breath. She pretended not hear it, which only added to his affection for her, as did the simple gesture itself. Unaccustomed to such kindness, he nevertheless took comfort in it.

Gisborne's contentment ended, however, when the guards discovered them. They killed one of the prisoners, but the rest of them would have remained unnoticed, had Archer not attacked the guards. Guy and Robin had no choice but to follow him as he hunted down the other soldiers. Ajsa, too, was pulled into the fight, and she held her own well enough, with the occasional help from one of the brothers. Unlike the men, who fought offensively, as well as defensively, Ajsa was strictly defensive, parrying and ducking and strafing.

With the arrival of Isabella's soldiers, Ajsa and her companions were sorely outnumbered. They ran, straight into a trap, barred on one side by the Sheriff of York's men and on the other side, by the Sheriff of Nottingham's men. Guy grasped Ajsa's hand, squeezing it, and she squeezed his back.

They were saved, however, when Isabella's emissary ordered that they be taken alive. But Archer was not satisfied with that. Grabbing Robin from behind, he pressed a dagger to his half-brother's throat, while Guy and Ajsa were restrained by Isabella's guards.

"Gentlemen, I offer you Robin Hood for my freedom," he said. Whether he was speaking to the emissary or to the Sheriff of York was uncertain. Or perhaps he was addressing them both. "He is valuable, and I am not. It'd be a shame for me to kill him, since he's worth so much more to you alive."

After a brief argument between the emissary and the Sheriff of York, Archer's deal was seemingly accepted. He released Robin and attempted to leave, but was stopped by more of York's men.

"Prepare them all to die," commanded the sheriff. "The Sheriff of Nottingham can keep her money. I'll send her their severed heads as a gift."

"What about the woman?" asked one of his soldiers.

"Hers, too," the sheriff snarled. "The woman is as guilty as Hood and Gisborne are in attempting to free Archer, so she will hang with them."

Ajsa was ushered out, along with Archer, Robin, and Guy. The guards led them outside, where a makeshift gallows was hastily constructed. They were forced to sit backwards on a horse, their hands were tied behind their back, and a noose was knotted for each of them.

"Well, I'm certainly glad I came to rescue my brother, aren't you, Robin?"

"This is not my fault," Archer protested.

"No?" challenged Gisborne. "Whose fault is it, then?"

"I didn't ask you to come," said Archer.

Ajsa turned her face up towards the sky, closing her eyes and swallowing the lump in her throat. This was the third time she'd been condemned to death, yet she felt no braver now than the first time. She resolved that if she survived this experience, there would not be a fourth. If that meant leaving Gisborne or his half-brother or even the King of Hungary in a jail cell, then so be it. Three near-executions was quite enough for one lifetime.

Her spiteful reverie was broken by the blare of trumpets as the sheriff and his wife arrived. When the drums began their ominous, rolling beat, a guard slipped the noose around Gisborne's neck. And then a small explosion erupted to Ajsa's right, providing the distraction they needed to slide off their horses. Allan appeared out of nowhere and untied her hands, and she saw that Archer and Robin were helped similarly by the rest of the gang.

Gisborne, however, remained atop his horse, with the noose still around his neck. Ajsa ran to help him, but Allan caught her, motioning towards Robin and Archer. They nocked an arrow each and let it fly, severing the rope from the gallows. Guy dismounted, and Ajsa freed his hands.

"They need your help," she said. Behind her, Little John was overwhelmed by York's guards.

Guy nodded. Taking the sword off a dead guard, he rushed to the big man's aid. Ajsa did her part, bashing soldiers over the head with blunt objects, breaking their noses with the heel of her hand, or, when the previous two tactics failed, kicking them in the groin. She always stuck close to either Guy or one of the outlaws, and she even ended up fighting back-to-back with Kate.

After they had incapacitated enough of the guards to escape, they made their way towards the horses that Ajsa had stabled. They encountered Isabella's emissary, who was preparing to kill Archer. Robin shot him and introduced Archer to the gang.

"Look, we need your help," said Gisborne. "We know you have weapons, and we need them."

"My weapons are for sale," Archer replied, with an infuriating smile. "Do you have money?"

"We just risked our lives for you, and you betrayed us. You owe us."

While Guy used intimidation, Robin tried the brotherly approach.

"Archer, I want you to join us," he said. "I want you to join us in the fight against Prince John."

"I'm flattered," said Archer, "but I have my own plans. And they don't include anyone else."

Untying the gray horse from its post, Archer mounted it and cantered off. Gisborne stared at his brother's retreating back with furrowed brows.

"He stole my horse," he said flatly.

Doubling up on horses, the gang wasted no time in returning to Sherwood Forest. Two geldings remained from Locksley, and the other mounts were the ones the Sheriff of York had planned to use for the hanging. Ajsa rode with Gisborne, taking turns at the reins. The outlaws stopped only to feed and water the horses. They ate whatever wild fruits they could forage and game they could hunt, and they slept on horseback. They made the trip in half the time it took to reach York, arriving safely but sorely in the camp within two days.

Ajsa had lived with the outlaws after escaping from Vasisey, so she was familiar with life in the camp. But Guy was an outsider-an unwelcome one, at that. He milled around, taking in the cramped yet well-stocked hideout that would be his home for the foreseeable future. He noted that they all had a designated bunk, even Ajsa, and wondered if there would be room for him, as well.

"So, where do you want me to sleep, then?" he asked them.

No one replied, but it was clear from their expressions that the outlaws did not want Gisborne to sleep anywhere near them. Finally, Robin gestured to the two bunks by Allan. During her stay with the outlaws, Ajsa had slept in the middle bunk, above Allan's, and it seemed that Guy would take the top bunk.

"Like old times, then, eh?" quipped Allan, flashing Ajsa a reassuring smile.

Gisborne, however, was not reassured, especially when she smiled back. Frustrated by his reduced circumstances and by Archer's betrayal, he stalked outside, tossing a muttered explanation over his shoulder.

"What's his problem?" inquired Much.

"You heard him," Little John said dismissively, "he's going to collect firewood."

"Good riddance if he gets lost and doesn't come back," huffed Kate.

Ajsa glared at her, hiking up the skirt of her fine, woolen dress to follow Guy. Robin sighed but did not stop her.

"Kate," he said wearily, "if I can get along with Gisborne, so can you."

Allan laughed. "I'm not bein' funny, Robin, but when we found you two, you were punching each other on the forest floor."

"At least I'm trying," Robin retorted. "If we're to have any chance against Prince John, we need his help."

"I wasn't rude to him," Kate argued. "Besides, what reason does he have to storm out? He acts as if he's the wounded party."

Tuck, as usual, was the voice of reason. "I suspect he is no more pleased with our company than we are with his."

Meanwhile, Ajsa found Guy sitting on a rock a little ways from the hideout, with a pile of firewood at his feet. He looked up when he heard her approach but did not rise.

"If you want to annoy them, you should stay in camp," she advised him.

"I don't want to annoy them," he said. "I don't care what they think of me. I'm with them because I cannot defeat Prince John and Isabella alone."

"You would not be alone," she pointed out. "You would have me."

Gisborne arched a brow. "An ally who refuses to kill her enemy could become a liability." Ajsa guiltily averted her gaze, staring at the bottom of her dress. "I saw you fighting in York. You evaded the guards, you hurt them, but you didn't kill them."

"I apologize for not being the hardened murderer that some others of us are," she snapped. But Gisborne did not react to the provocation. He sighed, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"Don't apologize," he said. "I told you once that I admired and envied your ability to treat people with kindness, even after the cruelty you've endured. I meant it then, and I mean it now."

"I did not always have that ability," she confessed. At Guy's curious glance, she continued. "After my father died, some of the men in my village thought I was easy prey, because I was a parentless widow. Most of them merely flirted or taunted, but others were bolder. They tried to corner me, individually and together, but we were always discovered by someone. Then, three of them found me one evening while I was tending the garden. I screamed, but they covered my mouth. I kicked and thrashed and bit, but they overpowered me and..."

Ajsa trailed off, but Guy knew exactly what those men had done to her. He clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned white. If he were ever to meet her rapists, he would kill them in the slowest and most agonizing way possible.

"It happened by the watermelons," she said, with a dark and bitter laugh. "I hate watermelon."

Taking her hand, he pulled her closer and cupped her cheek.

"Did all three...?"

"Rape me?" Ajsa supplied. He nodded. "No, only Miklós, the leader, did. The other two restrained me, or else I would have injured Miklós in a very vulnerable area."

Guy would've smiled, had the subject not been such a deadly serious one.

"What did you do?"

"Afterwards?" He nodded again. "Well, first I cleaned up and brewed a draught of wild carrot seed. Then I brewed a draught of hemlock and added it to Miklós's wine."

Despite the atrocities he had committed, a chill ran up Gisborne's spine at her calm, almost emotionless tone.

"You killed him."

"Yes," affirmed Ajsa. "I knew of no other way to protect myself from repeat offenses. When a man is wronged, he can fight for his honor, or he can inform the authorities. Not so for women. When a woman is wronged by a man, she is often blamed for provoking or tempting the man. I feared that either I would be viewed at fault, and would thus be punished, or that Miklós would merely be chastised but would not be prevented from hurting me again."

"Poisoning him was incredibly risky, Ajsa. If you'd been caught,-"

"I would have been sentenced to death," she said. "I know. But hemlock poisonings occur more often than you would think. It closely resembles parsnip, leading to inadvertent ingestion. Poisons are also undetectable to most people. The church physicians assumed that Miklós had died of a seizure, which they interpreted as demonic possession."

"But his companions," Guy insisted. "They must have suspected you were involved."

Ajsa smiled grimly. "I hoped that they would." Gisborne's eyes widened in disbelief. "You think me reckless," she guessed. "Perhaps I was, but how else was I going to protect myself? I had neither a father nor a husband to protect me, so, believe it or not, murder seemed like the safest option."

"Didn't they tell the authorities their suspicions?" he asked.

"No, they did not," Ajsa answered. "There was the risk that they would not be believed. I was fairly well-liked in my village, you know," she said, with a wry smile. "If they would have been suspected of slandering my name, it would not have boded well for their personal or business relationships."

"I see." He shifted his gaze to the forest floor, staring at the firewood, as he digested what she'd told him. But Ajsa took his reluctance to look at her in another way.

"You have killed, too," she reminded him.

His head snapped up, not angry by her accusation, but guilty.

"I don't think any less of you, Ajsa," he assured her. Cupping her cheek again, he stroked her soft, olive-tinged skin. "How could I, without condemning myself as a hypocrite?"

"You do not see me as soiled, as a damaged and violated woman?" she asked him. Guy was taken aback, though he shouldn't have been. After all, one of the first things he had learned about Ajsa was that she was often uncomfortably direct.

"Yes and no," he said, his lip curling in derision. "You have been damaged and violated, but I don't believe that...soils you." Guy sounded so disgusted by the notion that Ajsa laughed.

"Then you are not like most men, Sir Guy of Gisborne." She leant down to kiss him, shyly at first, but when he cupped both her cheeks, she opened up to him beautifully, melding her lips to his and pressing ever closer.

"Oi, there you are!" came Allan's exclamation. "Robin was-" He abruptly went quiet as he glimpsed the intimate moment he had interrupted. "Uh, sorry, Giz, luv-er, Ajsa..."

Allan's ears turned red from embarrassment, and Gisborne smirked. To Guy's private delight, Ajsa did not blush.

"What were you saying, Allan?" she asked.

The poor man was in visible discomfort. "You'd been gone for a long time, so Robin sent me to make sure nothing'd happened to you...to either of you."

"Ah, yes," said Gisborne, clearing his throat. "Robin's concern is touching, but, as you can see, Ajsa and are quite unharmed." He felt his lips twitch in another smirk. If her reproving glare was any indication, it did not go unnoticed by Ajsa. No one could blame him for feeling smug, though, not after kissing so headstrong and lovely a woman.

"Right, then," said Allan, "I'll just go and tell Robin."

Once Allan was out of earshot, Guy indulged in the laughter that had been bubbling in his chest. Ajsa stared at him, eyebrows raised in surprise, before she, too, began to giggle. In a fit of joy, he grasped Ajsa by the waist and tugged her forward, muffling their laughter as their mouths met. The kiss lacked finesse, but that was not really the point. Guy of Gisborne was happy, and he wanted to share that happiness with the woman who was the cause of it.