Robin Hood: Well Met Steel
By: Shadow Chaser
Started: 8/8/07. Finished: 8/25/07.
Author's Notes/Disclaimer:
Robin Hood and its characters do not belong to me. I am not making a profit from this fic, this is just for amusement, especially that of my muses. I graduated college with a minor in History, which included a lot of English and European history along with Eastern and Asiatic history so my knowledge of the Crusades is pretty thorough.
Story:
Part 3 – Rescue
June 18, 1192
Will blew the fine chips of wood off his newly finished key and scooted over to the door of the cell. The pain that had been lingering on him had faded a while ago and instead a new pain was forming on his lower back from the strain of him being hunched over for so long, but that pain was like a refreshing beacon to him.
He made sure that none of the guards were nearby before inserting the wooden key into the back of the lock and slowly moving it upwards. There was a soft click and a smile spread across his face. Glancing back at Djaq, Much, and Allan whose bruises had turned into an ugly yellowish color on his face, he nodded his success to them.
"Yes!" Djaq hissed happily before helping Allan up, Much supporting his other side.
Will slowly pushed the cell door open, knowing that its hinges were squeaky from the years of rust and crept out, holding the door open for the other three to slip through, Allan biting part of his lip from making any noises as he jarred a particularly nasty bruise he had on his left foot.
As soon as they were clear of the door, he let it close quietly before going over to Little John's cell and handed him the makeshift key. "You have to insert it this way," he pointed to the end, "and don't force it."
Little John nodded before taking the key and mimicking what he had done with the cell door. A soft click later and he opened the door and stepped out. "Let's go."
They hurried down the steps, Allan still a bit unbalanced, but able to move on his own and it wasn't too soon before they came upon the first guard. Little John immediately smashed him in the face, and the clattering of the guard falling down upon the ground elicited shouts from the other guards who came pouring in, weapons drawn.
Will ducked under the swipe of a broadsword and grabbed a guard's flailing hand before jabbing his hand into his mid-section. The guard doubled over and he quickly relieved him of his sword before flipping the handle to his right hand and finished the guard off. He could hear the others battling behind him as he moved forward to take down more guards that were pouring in.
Part of him wished he had his axes back in his hands as he knew their weight and feel, but right now he would do his best with the broadsword in his hands. He spun awkwardly injuring one of the guards in the arm, before thrusting his sword towards another who ducked and met his blade with his own, sparks flying at the metal contact.
Will pushed against the blade and broke the initial contact. Pulling his sword back for an overhand swipe, he underestimated the force and weight of the sword and stumbled.
The guard picked up on his hesitation and advanced forward, a cruel smile on his face beneath his helmet. He was about to run him through with his sword when another poked out of his back and the guard stared at the mortal wound he received before the sword retracted.
"You okay?" Allan looked a bit worst for wear and was obviously favoring his right foot, but the familiar glint of mischief in his eyes that he always wore whenever they fought.
"Yeah…thanks," he nodded before turning to the guard that was fighting Much and helped take him down.
"Surrender your weapons!" one of the guards yelled as Will looked up to see at least four more coming towards them.
"Go! Go!" Little John suddenly stepped in front of all of them, the broken spear in his hands raised as he faced the fresh batch of guards while the ones that hadn't been killed yet were groggily getting up. "Go!" he shouted at them and Will backed away slowly, his thoughts conflicted. He knew that Little John was providing them the means to escape, but they he didn't want to leave the big man to be re-captured again.
"Come on!" Djaq yanked at his sleeve and he turned and followed her as they ran from the dank dungeons, up the stone steps and towards the main corridors.
"Split up! Draw them apart! We'll meet at the North gate!" Much called out before he and Djaq went one way down the hall.
"Can you make it?" Will asked as he and Allan headed down the opposite end of the hall, occasionally glancing back as the sounds of the guards from the dungeons came closer and closer.
He was glad that it was night outside, and the dimly lit torches that shined along the castle's many corridors made for poor vision among the guards, but Will and Allan were used to running at night and so their night vision was especially sharp. Plus having broken in and escape from the castle so many times before, the corridors they were running around in were second-nature.
"Don't worry about me mate," Allan kept up with him, even though he was starting to limp badly, sweat starting to pour down his face even in the dim light. He was beginning to think that the innocent bruise on Allan's left foot was probably not what it seemed and more like a twisted ankle or broken foot.
Will nodded before slowing down as they came to a corner. He slid up against the wall and peered out quickly, seeing at least two guards, both facing away from him, chatting. Beyond them, the corridor looked empty.
He turned back to Allan and held up two fingers and he nodded before hefting a short sword he had acquired from one of the guards earlier. Will wanted a short sword since its balance was similar to his axes, but he knew that if he gave Allan his broadsword in a trade, his best friend would have added weight to his leg that he didn't need.
Counting silently to three, he suddenly leapt out towards the guards along with Allan and clobbered the two on the head, knocking them out cold. Will immediately dropped the broadsword he was holding and picked up one of the guards' short sword, feeling much better.
"That probably woke the other patrols up," Allan commented before they headed down the corridor.
They passed by rows of doors and Will realized that these were the guest quarters area of the castle. He was so engrossed in making sure that they didn't encounter any guards that he barely missed a loud pounding sound followed by muffled shouts from one of the doors until Allan stopped and stared at one of the doors.
"What?" he glanced at him who had a peculiar look on his face.
"Do you reckon that sounds like Robin?" Allan was staring at the door.
Will looked at him, puzzled before moving towards the door, his ears alert.
"Hey! Hey!" he heard the muffle shouts followed by the door rattling on his hinges.
"That is him," Will agreed before looking back towards the two guards they had knocked down, wondering if one of them had the key. He was about to head towards the two fallen bodies when the sounds of pursuit alerted him that the other patrols had seen the bodies and were running towards them. Cursing silently, he pounded on the door twice hoping Robin would be able to understand that he was going to come back later before he and Allan took off once more.
In ways, Will knew that it was good that Robin was here…the only bad part was that James of Atherstone was probably here…and he did not want to tangle with the Crusader.
Robin stepped back from the door as soon as he heard the double knock of what was probably one of his men replying back to his shouts. He heard the distant yells of the guards coming down the hall in front of his room and knew that they were being pursued, but the double knock indicated that they would return soon. It was a system they had set up as soon as they had formed, a way to communicate without words. Two knocks meant that they were going to return, one knock usually meant that they were either being pursued or couldn't return.
A few seconds later silence reigned in the halls and Robin knew that all the excitement had gone elsewhere and instead walked back to his pallet and sat down on the hard straw, trying to plan his next move. If there was one thing he could count on, it was the fact that he and his men were very good at escaping and springing people out of the castle – not to mention that Vaysey's guards were practically inept and stupid. However, with James' guards and those from Prince John, there would be an added security factor that they didn't know how to approach.
He could guarantee that the Prince's guards and even James' own men were probably smarter that the ones Vaysey picked from out of the shire. He would have to warn his men, whichever one of them escaped, to tread very carefully.
By his reckoning at least a half-an-hour had passed before the door to his room opened and he looked up to see James stepping in along with a lone guard, both of them unarmed. A second guard stood by the door, holding a spear
"Close the door behind us," James said to the guard by the door who nodded and shut the door after he stepped out, the lock clicking in place.
Robin stared at James warily, a thrill of dread forming in the pit of his stomach, and stood up slowly. He had a bad feeling about all of this…especially since it was late at night and the dim lighting did not help the malicious look James was wearing, a ruthless smile on his face.
"One of my guards told me you were pounding on the door earlier…calling out to your escaping men," James picked at his gloves.
"No harm in trying to find a way out of here," Robin replied neutrally, almost jauntily.
"I guess you should know…we've recaptured all of them," James shucked his gloves off and slapped them against his thigh as he walked around the small room, the flickering torch light making his shadow jump everywhere.
Robin was silent, waiting for the inevitable move that James was probably going to make against him. He also kept an eye on the lone guard that the Crusader had brought in with him.
"So, I guess there should be some punishment for you for trying to escape out of here," James continued, staring at the walls, his left hand trailing some of the stones.
"Punishment? Me?" Robin gave him a false smile, "I thought you would have me hang whole instead of battered around."
"You will hang whole," James turned and stared at him, "but why not have a little…fun!" With his last word, the Crusader suddenly threw a wild punch at him that Robin ducked easily before cocking his fist and back tried to throw one of his own.
But his fist was caught in an iron grip and Robin looked back to see the guard holding his left hand, surprised that the guard had moved so quickly to intercept him. That was when James' second punch caught him straight into the stomach and he doubled over in pain. He gave a yelp of pain as his left arm was twisted back before the clattering of something metallic touched his wrist and he looked up to see his left wrist encased in a shackle, the other end closing around the lone torch holder in the room.
Immediately the iron grip released from his wrist and he caught himself before he nearly fell to the floor, his left arm pulling painfully against the single restraint holding him. He barely had time to pick himself back up, using the stone wall as his support before James' next punch was aimed at his stomach again.
He managed a kick towards the Crusader that sent him and his punch spiraling away before the meaty hand of the guard shoved him against the stone wall with such force that he felt waves of pain shooting from his lower back all the way up towards his head. He shook his head, trying to clear away the dizziness that threatened to overwhelm him and pulled against his restraint.
"Not so tough now are we Locksley?" James sneered, coming close towards him before backing away a bit, "not like how you were back in Arsuf!"
Robin could feel a cut somewhere near his right temple that was dripping blood down the side of his cheek and his breath came in gasps, each one of them hurting painfully. There had to be at least some bruising of his ribs, he figured.
"You think you're tougher than I am?" he shot back, anger filling him, overpowering the dread that had once been in his stomach, "you have to chain me up and beat me just because you know I can defeat you in a fair fight!"
He knew that he was asking for it, knew that what he had just said were the wrong words to say to a man who had you chained up and beating you, but Robin didn't really care at the moment. The inevitable blow came when Robin felt his other arm yanked behind him painfully before more blows rained down on his stomach, chest, even towards his already pulled back arms.
He fought the urge to cry out, but even as the blows continued, he couldn't help but groan as a few hit sore spots. Finally, his arm was released and the beating stopped again, leaving him sagging almost to the floor, his left arm the only thing preventing him from completely collapsing onto the floor.
Robin winced as he could feel his left arm strain against his own body's weight, the shackles holding him tight. The pounding of his own heart drowned out any sounds that he heard, but he vaguely made out a rattling sound that was semi-consistent and blearily opened his eyes, James' dark form wavering from two of him to one of him. He knew that they hadn't hit his face at all, but the beating his body received still made it painful for him to keep his eyes open.
"Ah…is that Marian I hear from the door?" James said in an unpleasant voice before glancing at the other door that connected their rooms together. Robin could clearly see it shake against its hinges, the muffled voice of Marian telling them to stop.
He realized that Marian could hear and see what had been happening and despair filled him. This was not something he wanted her to hear or even see however much of it she could glean from the keyhole. This was something that was too vicious for her pure heart…
"Marian!" he shouted, "close your eyes-"
Robin bit his lip, grunting in pain as the guard viciously backhanded him across the face.
"-close your ears!"
"Aww," James suddenly grabbed his jaw, pulling him upright and painfully shoved him against the stone wall, "trying to save our little lovebird, aren't we?"
"You are a sick man, Atherstone," Robin bit out through the grip the Crusader had on his mouth.
"No, Locksley," James shook his head, "I am a forgiving man. I only wished you died from your leg wound back then. Then again, I praise the Saracen that managed to give you your near fatal wound; though I wish he could have killed you."
"Go to hell," Robin spat, his words partially still muffled by the grip James had on his mouth.
"You first," the Crusader whispered before slamming his head against the stone walls, sending a wave of dizziness and stars across his vision. He sagged once more against the lone restraint as his vision got blurry, but tried to will himself not to fall unconscious.
"Release him," he stared at James' booted feet as the man walked away from him, unable to move, only able to keep himself breathing as his vision faded in and out. There was a loud clicking sound before he felt his left wrist being released and he crumpled to the ground, every fiber of his being crying out in pain.
He barely heard James and the other guard open the door to his room and leave, the door slamming close behind them. He just closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing.
"Robin…Robin…" he opened his eyes after a few minutes, hearing Marian's broken voice. "Robin…please…answer me. Please…"
Pushing himself up on his right arm, he slowly slid towards the door and leaned heavily against it, letting himself rest. He flexed his left arm, clenching and releasing his fist. There definitely were a few pulled muscles, but hopefully they would heal somewhat by morning. He had a feeling that his date with the hangman was approaching soon, probably in the morning…if so, he wanted his arms to be in somewhat of a working order if he was going to steal a bow and a few arrows. They didn't need to be completely healed, as he could still shoot and hit his marks with near-perfect accuracy when his arms were partially disabled.
"I'm here," he whispered towards the keyhole, closing his eyes as he rested his head against the stone frame of the door.
"Robin, what-"
"Don't cry Marian…I'm fine," he reassured her, keeping his eyes closed.
"No you're not!" she hissed back and Robin smiled, glad to hear the venom back in her voice, instead of the despair that nearly broke his heart.
"It's all right," he opened his eyes again and looked at her single blue one that peered from the keyhole, "James is too clever to hurt me too badly before my hanging. He wants me to be as whole as possible, so that the people can see that his rule is absolute."
"Are you that keen on death?!" her lone blue eye was filled with fiery anger.
"No," he smirked, "and I do believe a rescue is coming soon."
"But he said your men-"
"He's lying," he tilted his head, "I know my men better than he does. One of them knocked twice on my door before he fled. Pursuit is light for that man…we'll get out of this."
"For everyone's sake, I hope you're right," she replied.
Will and Allan peered around the corner of an abandoned fruit stand, looking at the North gate where they were supposed to meet Djaq and Much. No one except the two guards guarding the gate was there and Will had a bad feeling that Djaq and Much had been re-captured. They had been waiting in their particular spot for the past hour and half with no sign of the other two.
"Let's get back in," Allan tapped him on the shoulder, having sat down to ease the pain on his left leg; "I don't think they're coming."
Will didn't say anything but nodded and resigned himself to the fact that Much and Djaq had been re-captured. He turned and helped Allan up to his feet before they headed back into the castle to ambush a couple of hapless guards and steal their armor. Will knew that Robin was expecting them and planned not to disappoint their leader.
They managed to find a couple of the guards trying to steal late night snacks from the kitchens and whacked the two over the head with various pots and pans they found, making sure to catch each man before they fell to the ground as not to wake the kitchen staff up.
Tying both men up after stripping them of their armor, Allan placed gags in each of their mouths before Will dragged their unconscious bodies into the far corner of the meat storage room, wrinkling his nose the whole time at the smell of half-rotted meat that wafted from the storeroom. Behind him, Allan dragged a couple of sacks of potatoes and placed them on top of the bodies, ensuring that if they were found, or if they woke up, they would be unable to escape without causing a lot of trouble.
"It's feeling better," Allan caught him staring at his left leg as he knelt down and tied a long strip of cloth around his ankle and foot, bracing it as best as possible.
After Allan was done, they started to put on the armor, all the while looking out for any other guards that were planning to raid the kitchens for late night snacks. After a few minutes, Will donned the helmet and glanced at Allan, a smile quirking up on his face.
"Too bad you're not the prisoner this time," he quipped, making his best friend shake his head and smile as he also put on his helmet.
"What, so you can whip me?"
"That did hurt, you know," he pointed out.
"Whatever," Allan replied before clapping him on the shoulder, "lets go rescue our fearless leader, shall we?"
Will just smiled and hefted the spear, planning to dump it somewhere later, in his hand before walking out of the kitchens, Allan following right behind him.
Robin didn't realize he had dozed off until a gentle double knock to his door startled him awake and he blinked open his eyes before getting up, wincing at how stiff his muscles had already become in light of the recent beating he got from James.
"Robin…it's me, Will," he heard the muffled voice of the young man say through the door.
"I knew it," he replied quietly, "who else is with you?"
"Just Allan…he's watching the halls, making sure no one comes near here, at least not for now," Will replied.
"Much and the others?"
"We think they've been re-captured by the Sheriff and his men."
Robin heard the jingle of what sounded like keys and quickly spoke up, "Don't free me just yet Will."
"What?"
"I need to prove James wrong in front of everyone, including the Sheriff," he quickly explained, "I think all of the letters James gave out, including those to the Sheriff are forged letters. They've been inscribed with the fake seal of King Richard."
"But what does that have to do with proving James wrong? Oh…"
Robin nodded, knowing that Will could not see him, but did so anyways, "A peasant revolt could work to our advantage."
"Allan and I will find our weapons and hide them near the hanging block," Will replied.
"If things do go wrong," Robin said in a serious tone, "get Marian out first."
"But Robin-"
"No buts Will," he cut the youngest member of the gang off, "Marian is in great danger, more so than me. James will want to make sure that when I am executed, it will be to everyone's eyes, including Marian's. Spirit her away and he will have to spend time finding her."
"Then we'll have time to rescue you," Will finished for him, "I don't like it…"
"I'm not asking you to like it-"
"The guard is coming back," Will suddenly interrupted him, "I told him I give him a quick break."
"I'll see you later then," Robin replied before he heard Will step away from the door and the muffled exchange between him and the guard before the sound of metallic booted feet stomped away.
Robin moved from the door to the other side of the room and sat down next to the door, leaning against the frame once more. He knocked gently on the wooden door. "Marian…"
"Hmmm?" she replied sleepily, having fallen asleep next to the door too.
"I have a plan," he said.
"It better not be half of one," she murmured, sleep still evident in her voice, but it brought a smile to Robin's face.
"Will and Allan have escaped and are posing as guards for the moment," he explained to her, "tomorrow they will free the others and us too. If things go wrong, they will spirit you away first."
"I will not leave you to the hangman's noose," Marian was definitely awake, annoyance in her voice.
"Your life is in far more danger now that…" he couldn't finish the sentence, the death of Sir Edward still too fresh in his mind and heart, "I know how James operates. He is cruel, sadistic, and enjoys the pain he puts on others. He won't kill me if he can't find you. He will want to wait until you are captured because he wants to have you watch me die."
"But he will torture you!"
"Nothing I haven't handled before," he replied before he realized he had disclosed more than he should have to his love. He didn't want her finding it out like this…
"It happened in the Holy Lands…didn't it?" she asked, her voice quiet.
"It is a tale for another time and place," Robin said roughly, hoping that she would leave it at that.
Silence answered him for a few minutes before she spoke up once more.
"Let us hope that in a few hours, all of this will be behind us," she said in a subdued tone. Robin whole-heartedly agreed with her…
June 19, 1192
Whatever light poured into the room that Robin had been confined to ever since he arrived back in Nottingham beat their morning rays upon his sleeping form before one particular beam caught him square across his eyes, making him squint as he woke up. The distinct sound of his door unlocking once more, brought him fully awake and he quickly peered through the keyhole to Marian's room, but it looked like she had been taken away long before he had woken up.
He pushed himself up onto his feet, quickly working a couple of muscles in his to relieve the cramping they received during the night away as he saw James and two other guards walk in, a third guard holding the door open.
On closer inspection of one of the guards, he was mildly surprised to see that it was Will who gave him a slightly measured and surprised look before standing behind James. Robin realized that Will was probably staring at the dried blood that had dripped down the side of his face and probably from his slightly blood-matted hair during the couple of times his head was slammed against the stone walls.
He gave Will a covert wink and the barest shake of his head, hoping to reassure him before facing James, a crooked smile on his face.
"I take it this isn't a social call?" he raised his eyebrows, projecting confidence in his voice.
"Tie him," James just gave him a half-smile in return before gesturing for Will to approach him with ropes.
"No chains?" Robin asked, secretly pleased. This would make his escape all the easier, especially since he knew Will would tie his ropes loosely.
"We only save those for the ones who truly deserve it, and for torture," the Crusader replied as he held out his hands for Will to tie up.
Robin made sure not to catch Will's eyes just in case James was looking, but he did notice that he made his bonds look tight while he could easily flex his hands and wrists within them, enabling him to slip out of them with little to no trouble at all. As soon as Will was done and stepped back, Robin slowly lowered his hands, letting them rest against his stomach, giving the illusion that they were tied very tightly.
"Good, good," James stepped forward and examined him from head to toe, before reaching behind him and shoving him forward, making him stumble a bit on the uneven stone floor. "Let's go meet your maker, Locksley."
As soon as Robin stepped from his room, he was surrounded by a contingent of guards, all whom stayed at least a pace away from him in a circle of sorts so that if he were to make a grab for one of their weapons, he would have to reach for it instead of instantaneously acquiring one.
They walked into the front entrance of the castle, where the bright sunlight hit Robin's face full force to the point where he had to squint for a few seconds to let his eyes adjust to the glare before he looked out at the massive crowd that had gathered around the hangman's platform.
"Good crowd, Atherstone…did you cajole half of Nottingham to be here? Or were they your prisoners already?" he said sarcastically as he was pushed down a few steps. His eyes scanned the crowd and he spotted the rest of his gang, standing by the hangman's platform, staring up at him. He spotted Allan next to Djaq and the barest nod of his head told him that he was ready with their weapons and the others also knew of the basic plan. He figured Allan probably already either loosened their bonds or even broken them already… He gave them a small smile, especially to Much who looked positively pale with worry.
"Is it a concern of yours Robin? Should you even been concerned whether or not I forced this…rabble to be here? I would think your current thoughts may linger on whether or not I would grant you one last request…" James replied next to him.
"Last time I did that, he incited a rebellion," Vaysey spoke up a couple of guards away, a congenial smile on his face as he scanned the crowd. Next to him was Gisborne to whom Robin smirked at, "by the way, Atherstone…why are there two hangman's noose? You never did explain it."
"All will be explained in due time," James stepped away from them, heading further down the steps, holding his hands up for silence.
Out of the corner of his right eye, Robin saw Will standing one step behind him, the broadsword's pommel he wore as part of his guard uniform innocently pointed at him for easy access. In Will's other hand he was holding a short sword, blade pointed downwards. Continuing to scan the crowd, he found Marian's face and worried eyes near Allan and the others, but completely surrounded by Prince John's guard…
Getting her free was going to be a bit tricky…
"Your attention please," James spoke loudly, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd as they fell mostly silent, save for the occasional ripple of murmurs. "As you all have heard, anyone who disobeys the Crown, will be arrested, tried, and executed. The King has been most displeased by recent events happening in his lands. He has granted me full authority to investigate this matter, allowing me to return from the Holy Lands to find the true perpetrator of this rebellion.
"And I have found that perpetrator! You all claim this man, Robin of Locksley," James pointed at him, "is your savoir? I would hardly think so! This man has been robbing the rich and yes, gave all of you trinkets to buy food for your families, for your sons and daughters to survive! But what has he done with the rest of the money?! I tell you, he has horded it!
"In a confession to me as I was secretly conducting my investigation, he has told me that he plans to use this money, to overthrow Prince John in London! To overthrow the autocratic rule of the state! He plans to rebel against the man he claims to protect with his life as the captain of the King's Guard, King Richard the Lionhearted himself!"
Robin resisted the urge to whistle at the accusations that James was throwing at him, but he could see that some of the peasants had shocked expressions on their faces while others were starting to nod in agreement with James' words. He knew he would have to make his move soon if a peasant revolt could work with him.
"But before we continue with today's execution, there is one other small business to attend to," James said, pausing dramatically and Robin caught Allan rolling his eyes in exasperation at the theatrics. However, the Crusader's next words shocked even Robin himself.
"Gisborne, please execute Sheriff Vaysey," James said flatly, turning around and staring at the Sheriff, pure malice in his eyes.
Even the crowd was surprised for all murmurs stopped and dead silence reigned, save for the occasional baying of an animal somewhere in the town broke through the air. Vaysey himself opened his mouth a couple of times like a fish out of water and even Gisborne had frozen in place, unsure of whether or not he should follow the order given to him.
"What is the meaning of this?!" Vaysey hissed, his words echoing through the silent courtyard.
"You have served your usefulness to Prince John, Vaysey. Surely you could have seen this coming a mile away?" James said in a simple tone, "by your incompetence, Locksley has been able to get away with the money the Prince has been accumulating for a long time and your inability to deal with him shows that you are not fit to rule."
"I have done all I can-"
"Save it for God, Vaysey," James waved him away before giving a pointed look at Gisborne, "well, you have your orders and might I remind you…they come from someone higher than me."
"If they do," Robin suddenly interrupted them, a plan forming in his head, "then they are quite illegal in that sense…"
"What is it now Locksley," James turned on him, annoyed, "do you want to die that quickly?!"
"No," Robin said calmly, stepping down towards James, sensing that the other guards, including Will were following him, "but you do have to wonder where are all these supposed orders are coming from."
"Nobles of the land," he turned to the crowd, specifically looking at the various nobles that had been at the meeting when James was first introduced to them, "do you remember the Sheriff reading the letter from King Richard?"
"What are you getting at-"
"And it was signed with the seal of the King, am I correct?" Robin brushed James aside easily, "but is that seal really the true seal of the King?"
The crowd erupted into hushed whispers as Robin continued, "No one has really seen the seal of the King for a long time, right? Five years, as I recall…"
"Don't listen-"
"What?" Robin smirked at James, "suddenly afraid I'll spill some secret?" He turned to the crowd again, "There are only four people standing here today that truly know what the King's seal looks like. My manservant, Much," he grinned at Much who hesitantly nodded, "and I have served directly in the King's Guard, leading him to safety, protecting him from assassins." Here, he gave a pointed glare at Gisborne who ignored him before staring back out into the crowd. "The King, if you didn't know, broke his signet ring in one of our earlier campaigns. It was the square one you all recognize. When he had his second one commissioned, his coat of arms stayed the same, but this one was a circular seal.
He moved his hands up and pulled out the two pieces of parchment he had hidden deep within the folds of his clothes, "As all of you may know and the Sheriff has clearly said long ago, I returned with a commendation from the King himself; with the same circular seal that the King personally wrote for me. These orders here…the ones purportedly from King Richard, are in fact using the wrong seal…the seal from Prince John."
He turned and faced James, his eyes stony, "You've just killed an innocent man, James of Atherstone. And I do believe the law of the land states that killing a noble like Lord Fitzwalter is treason. Using Prince John's name and faking the King's seal for your own purpose is also treasonous. You are the true traitor to the Crown."
Robin suddenly slipped his hands out of his bonds and grabbed the broadsword hanging from Will's belt, drawing it in one fluid motion. He continued the motion by lashing out to the guard closest to him, kicking him in the stomach, sending him toppling towards his comrades, knocking four others down along with James who went toppling down the stairs.
The courtyard erupted into chaos.
Robin wasted no time charging down the steps, avoiding the blades of some of the guards who were running around in confusion, some attacking James' men and the Prince's guard, others wondering if they should let the outlaws go. In the distance, he could see Allan and the others spring into action, grabbing their weapons and taking down the guards surrounding them.
"Arrest them! Arrest Robin Hood and Atherstone!! Arrest his men!" Vaysey screamed as he retreated back into the protective walls of the castle, a contingent of guards surrounding him, Gisborne no where to be seen, "I want them arrested!! I am the Sheriff!"
His eyes searched where Marian should be and saw that the group of the Prince's guards that had surrounded her were running towards him and Will, but just as suddenly, the Sheriff's guards intercepted them and swords went flying as the two factions fought it out.
Robin let loose a shout of delight as he couldn't believe his eyes that his plan worked much better than he anticipated. Of course, turning on Vaysey when most of the castle guards were in his employ wasn't usually the wisest thing to do, but Robin was beyond caring at the moment.
"Robin!" Will's urgent voice made him focus back on getting to Marian and he ducked underneath a couple of fighting guards before raising his sword and attacked the two of the Prince's guard that were still holding onto her arms.
His attack was met with jarring steel of one of the guards while Will engaged with the other one. "Run!" he shouted at Marian who nodded and headed towards Allan and the others who were backing up towards the portcullis.
He swung his sword around and met in a parry to the guard's sword, pushing against him for a few seconds before he suddenly stepped to the side, the guard stumbling forward. "Will!" he called out to the youngest man who was surprisingly holding his own against the Prince's guard he was fighting.
Will suddenly broke the stalemate he was in and swiftly kicked the guard in the stomach, making him stagger backwards into a few peasants who pushed and beat him. Nodding at him, the two of them ran to join the others, pushing their way through the masses who were either running towards the guards, or running away from them, all the while screaming.
"Come on!" Allan had already ditched his guard's helmet and grabbed Will's sleeve before the crowd could carry him off while Robin was grabbed by Much and both were pulled to the side.
"That…was brilliant, dangerous, but brilliant," Much said before they headed towards the stable which were probably lightly guarded, most of the guards still caught up in the quagmire of confusion in the courtyard.
"Robin, my father is still alive," Marian said as they quickly tacked up the horses, the guards that were guarding the stables knocked unconscious.
"What?!" Robin stared at her.
"He's being held at Locksley Manor."
"Who told you this?" he asked, helping Marian up onto her saddle before climbing up on to his, his trusty bow wrapped across his shoulders, his arrows snug behind him. He had long abandoned the broadsword he took from Will and instead was happier now that his curved Saracen sword was resting by his side.
"Sir Guy," she replied quietly.
"It could be a trap," Allan spoke up, now dressed in his regular clothes, the remnants of his guard's outfit a pile by his horse's hoofs.
"It is a trap," Little John said gruffly.
"Trap or not, we still need to find him before James' men does," Robin said, silencing whatever argument was going to crop up, "let's go." He nudged his horse out of the stables and into a gallop, headed out of the North gate and towards Sherwood Forest, the others following close behind him.
LOCKSLEY MANOR
The manor was too quiet for Robin's liking as they approached it from the back of the town, where they would have a chance of not being seen by the village's inhabitants. A lone horse waited outside the main door, and he recognized the horse's markings and color as Gisborne's personal favorite. Oddly, there were no other horses surrounding Gisborne's which made Robin wonder if the man was setting up an ambush of sorts.
"Wait outside," he told the others as he got off of his horse, "set up a perimeter…I need to know when James' will be arriving or if anyone else is coming."
Marian also got off her horse and followed him. He opened the door slowly, removing his bow from his shoulder and notching an arrow. Stepping in, he was alert to any sort of ambush.
"Father!" Marian exclaimed, making Robin look up towards the stairs to see Edward stepping down towards them, a grim look on his face.
It was then that the door closed behind him and Robin spun around, his bow held ready, the arrow pointed straight at Guy of Gisborne's face as he stepped from the shadows behind them.
"Lower your weapon, Locksley," Gisborne held up a hand, taking one step forward.
"You first…" he said in a dangerously soft voice.
"I am here alone…and I am unarmed," Gisborne held up his other hand away from his body to show that he had no weapon in his hands.
Robin didn't lower his weapon, "Why are you here?"
Gisborne moved his gaze over to Marian who had stepped away from him, "I can save you and your father, right now, if you would let me."
"How?" she asked, as Gisborne moved closer towards her, Robin keeping a sharp eye on him, lowering his bow slightly.
"My orders weren't from King Richard," Gisborne gave him a pointed look before turning back to face Marian, "they were directly from Prince John. They were to aide James of Atherstone in any way possible. When he gave to order to execute your father, it was an order that went against my conscience."
"Please," Robin snorted, "like you have one!"
"Contrary to popular belief," Gisborne gave him a dark glare, "I do."
"And do does that same conscience allow you to try to kill the King in the Holy Lands?!" Robin shouted, taking a step towards Gisborne, the fury that he had for the man igniting once more.
"Stay out of this Locksley!" Gisborne shouted back before facing Marian again, "Your father will not survive if you both are branded as outlaws. I can provide that security…my offer still stands."
Robin gritted his teeth in frustration as he stared between Marian and Gisborne. He wanted to say something, to persuade Marian that whatever Gisborne was offering, which was probably marriage once more, he would be able to protect her with his life. But he also knew that Gisborne was right in one aspect. Edward Fitzwalter would not survived being branded an outlaw and Marian was very adamant about taking care of her father. It was one of the things that frustrated him so much, yet he understood in others. Yet…he didn't want to lose Marian to Gisborne…not under such duress.
He saw Marian look towards her father who had a blank look on his face before he shook his head, "I've said my piece…it is your choice…"
As she swept her gaze back around, he caught her eyes and shook his head, knowing she could see the despair within him. It pained him to see her like this…
"Robin! They're coming!" Much's frantic pounding on the door and his muffled voice interrupted anything Marian was about to say and he moved towards the door, opening it.
In the distance, he could see the banners of Prince John's men and the distinct Crusader uniform that James wore coming towards the manor. "Get inside!" he called to his men as they took one more look at the advancing guards before coming inside.
"Master, what is he-"
He shook his head at Much's question, his manservant staring at Gisborne, wondering whether or not he should attack him. He took one more look outside before closing the door, nodding to Allan and Will to take up positions surrounding the windows, their bows drawn.
"We know you are in there Locksley! Come out and I may show lenience towards your men!" James' booming voice echoed throughout the open front yard of the manor, as Robin peered out of the window, standing next to Allan.
He counted around eight guards, not including James that followed him, all of them wearing the colors of Prince John's guard. He knew that there had to be more of the Prince's guard and wondered if they had been subdued by Vaysey's men…
It was then that Robin made his decision. "Marian," he called out, continuing to stare out of the window, "take your father and go out the back. We'll cover you from the backdoor to the stables."
"If you think I'm leaving-"
"This is not the time to be arguing," Robin said loudly, cutting her off before turning to face her, lowering his voice, "please…"
She looked at him, completely not convinced before he sighed and stepped away from the window. He guided her away from the group, ignoring the look Gisborne was giving him and made sure that no one could see or hear them. "If you stay and fight," he whispered quietly, "Gisborne may find out who the Nightwatchman is."
"But I burned all of my clothes," she hissed back.
"Not good enough…he's seen you fight at least twice now, am I correct? Please…go. We'll head James' men off. We'll bring him to justice and back to the Sheriff," he said.
"And what if the Sheriff arrests you again?"
"I don't think he will this time," Robin gave her a small smile, remembering the time when they had saved Vaysey's life from the Saracen assassins. The priceless words from the Sheriff's mouth, 'business as usual tomorrow,' reassured Robin that even though he had saved the Sheriff's life this time around from James' men, Vaysey would have to live up to that debt.
"Are you sure?"
"Definitely," he wanted to lean in and kiss her, but knew that this was not the time or place for such romantic interests.
"Fine then," she gave him a look before moving towards her father, quietly explaining to him what the plan was.
Robin turned to his men, "Split up, twos and threes, and we'll meet up at the secondary hiding spot."
They nodded, understanding what he was trying to do before he looked at Gisborne, "As for you…stay out of our way. You come chasing after any of my men and we will shoot you on sight."
"Sir Guy, my father will need your help," Marian suddenly spoke up as she and her father moved towards the kitchens and to the back of the manor. Robin stared at her incredulously before she gave him a simple look. Sometimes he didn't understand her at all and knew that if he ordered her not to have Gisborne by her side, she would never forgive him.
"Locksley! Come out you coward!" James shouted again as they quietly stole through the kitchens and out to the stables, keeping low to the ground so they wouldn't be spotted.
Suddenly Robin noticed that James was waving his men forward to surround the manor and halted, crouching in the tall long grasses that were on the manor's property, right near the edges of Sherwood Forest. The whole town of Locksley, while nearly surrounded by the forest, also provided multiple routes for escape, something he and his gang exploited on many occasions. The gang also stopped, notching their bows or readying their weapons.
"Quickly!" he half whispered to Marian and her father, Gisborne following them as they disappeared into the stables.
"Steady," he called out quietly to his men, "as soon as Marian and her father leave the stables, let loose your arrows then run towards the woods. We have to make sure every single one of them follows us."
They all nodded in agreement. While they had only been a gang for the last few months, they had bonded like brothers - and sisters, he amended silently, and he knew that all of them considered Marian like a younger sister.
Suddenly a noise from the stables made Robin turn around to see Sir Edward riding out, Marian following close behind along with Gisborne. He was a bit miffed that Gisborne took one of his horses, but then focused himself back on the task at hand. Apparently James also noticed the disturbance because his face turned an ugly shade of purple with anger.
"After them!" he shouted to his soldiers.
"Now!" Robin cried out at the same time and he stood up from his crouched position and fired off his first arrow, hitting a soldier in the thigh, making him cry out in pain as he clutched his wounded leg and fell off his horse, unable to continue. He quickly drew his second one in a split second and shot it off again, hitting another soldier in the arm just as one of Allan's arrows found the soldier's shin, toppling the hapless man off his horse.
As he and his men slowly made their way to the edges of the trees of Sherwood, his eyes suddenly widened in fear as he saw James reach behind him and pull out a crossbow. Everything seemed to slow down for Robin as he saw that it was fully loaded and not pointed at him, but at Marian who hadn't glanced back and instead was concentrating on getting her father and herself to safety.
"Marian!" he screamed her name, making her turn around, just as Gisborne did too, only too late as James fired off the bolt towards her.
He watched, anguish and horror filling him as he saw the bolt rip into her shoulder, surprise and pain briefly filling her beautiful porcelain face before she collapsed onto her horse. It was then that time sped up once more.
"Marian! No!!" his legs moved of their own accord as he ran towards her, but suddenly arms engulfed him, holding him back. "No!! Let me go!" he struggled against the arms, wanting to go to the still retreating form of Marian, to whom Gisborne was now riding next to her horse, half holding onto her unconscious body, half guiding her horse down the road.
"Let her go, Robin!" Djaq shouted into his ear, "We need to go!"
"No!" Robin fought harder before a painful blow to his stomach from Little John made the red haze that had fallen over his eyes when he saw Marian shot, disappear.
"Let's go…" Little John's gruff face filled his vision and he numbly nodded before Djaq and Much let him go.
They headed into the forest, shooting a few more arrows to entice James' men while felling a couple more.
"After the outlaws! I want their heads!" James yelled and Robin felt a tug on his sleeve.
"Master, let's go," Much called to him as he stepped backwards, all the while staring at James who had a ruthless smile on his face as he wheeled his horse towards the forest, intent on following them after his men.
Robin raised his chin silently at James, challenging him, his eyes narrowed before he stepped further back into the forest and followed Much. He deliberately kept his pace slower than his friend's and before long, made sure that Much was a bit ahead of him before he turned to another path through the woods and stopped. He knew that James was going to follow him; after all, the man was sadistic and enjoyed inflicting pain onto others.
He knew that James knew he was setting up a trap, and baiting him, but Robin was beyond caring at the moment. The sick bastard had shot and wounded Marian, how fatal or non-fatal, he didn't know, but all he knew was that James was not going to live past today.
The soft hoof beats of a horse approaching told Robin that James had arrived, yet he didn't turn around, and instead fingered his bow, his arrow pack having been dumped to the ground minutes before. "There is a rumor going around Nottingham and London that you are weak. You despise bloodshed because you have changed during your years in the Holy Lands, Robin of Locksley," James slowly and Robin heard him dismount his horse before he heard the sharp metallic twang of a broadsword being drawn.
"A rumor," Robin fingered his bow, staring at the ground, his thoughts dark and clouded.
"You were always too soft-hearted Locksley. Even in the Holy Lands; saving those pitiful heathens," James sneered.
"I should have killed you when I first met you," Robin said in a conversational tone before he dropped his bow to the ground and quickly drew out his curved Saracen sword.
He spun around and met James' broadsword in a parry before breaking it with a circular swipe and lunged at the man. James danced back before swinging his sword around for another swipe at him to which Robin ducked low to the ground. He lashed out with his free arm and pulled the man's leg, making him stumble and fall down the higher ground he was on.
Wasting no time, Robin jumped down after him and tried an overhand chop towards the other man's head. A flash of steel and sparks flew from the contact and Robin had to duck to the side to avoid the longer broadsword's blade. He stepped back, carefully looking at James as they circled each other in the leaf-fallen wooded area.
He flourished his sword a couple of times, a merciless smile on his face. He could feel the darker side of himself rise up to the surface, telling him to kill James, to hurt the man for what he had done to Marian. To take all of the injustices done to him in the past few days and right them. To destroy this man who had no heart; a heart that was destroyed.
"Fighting with a heathen sword? What happened to your English pride?" James sneered at him.
"Still here, mate," Robin replied sarcastically before giving a war cry as he surged forward.
He hacked and slashed at James, who blocked and parried while backing up but just as suddenly, lunged at him with the sword. Robin barely got out of the way and hissed in pain as the tip of the sword tore through his clothes and cut part of his arm. He ignored the pain and pushed his own blade against the broadsword, forcing it away from him he charged forward, intent on repaying James for the minor wound.
"You should have stayed back in Acre, Atherstone!" he yelled as he kicked a handful of dirt into the man's face who spluttered. Robin wasted no time and lunged forward again.
"And you should have died back then!" James shot back, barely bringing his sword up in time to cut off his attack.
James broke the attack with a swift punch towards Robin's face and he leaned back, avoiding the blow, but went off balance and stumbled and fell to the forest floor. He brought his sword up across his chest to prevent a slash down towards him, catching the blade with bone-jarring force.
Robin gritted his teeth as he pushed against the weight James was throwing upon him before he suddenly lashed out, knocking James' feet out from him. The Crusader fell to the ground with a surprise shout and Robin scrambled to his feet. He quickly kicked the broadsword away from the man's left hand, sending it skittering away before pointing his sword at his exposed throat, the curvature of the blade reflecting the chain-mail armor James wore.
"I will kill you," Robin said in a deadly quiet and simple tone, his eyes blazing with anger, the darkness that he had so long tried to purge from within him taking over his whole body and soul. This man had threatened him, lied to him, hurt or even perhaps killed his beloved…and if Marian was dead, he truly had nothing else to live for…
He raised his sword up and over his head, ready to chop James' head away from his body. Swinging downwards, he could see the blade singing towards the Crusader's exposed neck, the horror in James' eyes—
"Robin, no!" Much's anguished cry halted the blade's path, only centimeters away from cutting the skin.
Robin looked back, his eyes blazing in fury, angry at Much who had the gall to stop him from doing what had to be done. "Why did you stop me?" he asked, his voice frozen cold.
"Master…please…don't do this. I don't want you to become the Crusader you once were," Much stood a bit away from him, his hands empty, tears falling down his eyes. A few feet beyond him, the others were running towards Much, apparently having already disposed of James' other men. "Don't turn into someone like Lord James again…"
Much hoped his master could see the desperation in his eyes as he stared plaintively at Robin. He had only see the last few blows exchanged between his master and Sir James and immediately had recognized all the signs of what his master had done. He had hoped never to see such a side again, a far more dangerous side than anyone could have imagined. It was worst than what he had seen when Robin thought Marian was dead only two weeks ago…worst than when he found out Guy of Gisborne was responsible for his near-fatal wound.
This was the Robin that he rarely saw. The Robin who unleashed his full anger upon those that had wronged him, the part where when he snapped, he would be drunk with bloodlust. He had only seen it once or twice in the battlefield, but Much was always close enough to recognize the symptoms. Between him and Tomas of Rufford, it was an effort to calm Robin back down after the few episodes on the battlefield.
"Please…" he whispered, hoping his words were getting to his master.
He and Robin stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Much saw something spark within his master and hope filled him. He saw the curved sword in his master's hand shake slightly before Robin looked down at the blade, the blade that served as a stark reminder of his last 'episode'.
The curved blade lowered away from James' throat and to the ground before his master seemed to sag from an unseen weight. "You're right…thank you Much," Robin looked at him with a sad smile, his voice grateful and Much nearly collapsed onto the ground as he knew that he had gotten through to his master.
Suddenly time seemed to slow down and Much watched with horrified eyes as a hidden dagger abruptly appeared in James' hand and he lunged upwards from the ground towards Robin.
"MASTER!" Much screamed.
"MASTER!"
Robin instinctively turned as his friend screamed and thrust his sword into James' chest as the man lunged at him from the ground, a hidden dagger in his right hand. His eyes widened in horror as he saw his blade pierce the man's weakened chain-mail armor and cut through him, stopping him in mid movement.
James choked slightly, his eyes widening as blood spilt out of the corner of his lips, the dagger falling from his limp hand. The man didn't say anything as he choked a few times before his eyes dimmed and his body fell completely limp.
Robin blinked a few times, his mind still comprehending what had just happened, his hands instinctively lowering the body still skewered to his sword before pulling it out with a wet sucking sound. The ironic thought that it was so like James of Atherstone to pull such a last-ditch attack on him floated across his mind but he quickly banished it away, saddened that it had to come to something like this.
Looking to the others, he noticed that their looks were not of horror as he had predicted, but they were of understanding. They understood and realized what had happened, what must be done and while Robin knew that perhaps they didn't forgive him for trying to break their no-kill policy, they understood that this instinctive reaction was just that, instinctive.
As he sheathed his sword once more, noting that he would have to clean it later when they got back to camp before the blood ate away at the metal and rust started to form he walked towards the others, a serious look on his face. He was grateful for all of them staying by him, even when things got harried and out of his control – he could never ask for better friends than the five that were part of his gang.
"Don't mean to be funny, but it's finally over, right?" Allan asked, still gingerly leaning on one foot.
"For now, yes," Robin replied, clapping the other man on the shoulder as they walked back to camp.
Epilogue
June 21, 1192
NOTTINGHAMCASTLE
Sheriff Vaysey had a lazy smile on his face as he dipped his falcon-feathered quill into the ink bottle before taking it out and scribbling some more on the piece of official parchment he had in front of him. He sat in the great hall of the castle, softly humming an aimless tune. But that did not mean he did not hear the soft booted feet of his Master-at-Arms or right hand man come into the great hall, walking quietly down the stairs.
"Ah, Gisborne, good, you're here," Vaysey said, without look up before carelessly gesturing to a letter that was sitting by his own parchment, the seal of Prince John already broken and half of the parchment was rolled up messily. "Read that."
He heard Gisborne pick up the parchment and read it. After a few seconds, the man spoke up, "Why didn't you tell me earlier there was a second parchment along with the first one that you've received from the messenger days ago?"
Vaysey looked up and gave him a broad grin, "Because, I needed your reaction to be genuine."
"But, sire…I was under orders to kill you," Gisborne looked a bit put-out.
"Blah-di-blah-di-blah," Vaysey waved away his concerns, "Of course you were. But I always have a plan in place. Four of my most trusted nobles were ready to spring into action if things didn't go as planned."
"You planned it?!"
"Well," he shrugged, "I had hoped Atherstone would have gotten rid of Hood at the same time, but you couldn't hope for much." He then gestured to the large money bag that had been sitting next to the letter, "The Prince says half of that is yours in lieu of payment for your lands once more. Apparently he wants them back for farming and garrison purposes."
"I noticed that's what the letter said," Gisborne replied flatly and the Sheriff's smile got wider.
"Come now Gisborne. You really didn't expect this whole charade to really be real, did you?"
He saw the man work his mouth a few times, wanting to say something, before he finally fell silent, glaring at the money bag.
"You can go buy your little Marian something to sooth her wounds, can't you now?" he waved Gisborne away, "shoo now…I'm just finishing my report to our dearly beloved Prince."
He looked back down on his report and scribbled something quickly on the parchment before he heard Gisborne walk away, this time his steps loud and angry. Vaysey snorted silently before chuckling to himself. "Lepers Gisborne…lepers…"
KNIGHTON HALL
Climbing to Marian's window was always a feat of acrobatics, especially since he didn't want to be seen by her father. But he had long mastered the climb and quietly slipped to the side of her roof. "Marian," he whispered, knocking gently on the wooden frame.
He smiled as he saw her appear a few seconds later, peering out to look at him, her left arm in a sling, holding it in place as she was still healing from the bolt that had dug itself into her shoulder.
"You shouldn't be here in broad daylight!" she whispered, looking out to see if any of the Sheriff's spies were around.
"I wanted to see you," he replied, leaning against the frame, a happy smile on his face. He was glad that she was all right and found out just a day ago that Gisborne had lead her father and her safely to Knighton Hall before calling for his own personal physician to tend to her wound. He was a bit irked about that part, but his relief at the fact that she wasn't seriously wounded by James outweighed the annoyance he felt for Gisborne.
"I'm not a dainty teacup you know," she smirked back at him.
"I know, but that still doesn't mean I can visit, can I?" he leaned closer, hoping to steal a kiss from her, but the wooden bars on her window occasionally prevented that.
"You only visit if you want something from me," Marian teased him, "Especially when you climb the window."
"Ouch, that hurt," he grinned before his expression got a bit more serious, "in all seriousness, Marian…are you sure you're okay?"
Her smile slowly disappeared as she nodded before looking away, "My father is still shocked at what has happened, but he's taking the time to recover. And he was especially surprised at Sir Guy's…actions."
"Saving you and saving him," Robin sighed.
"He's a good man, Robin. Underneath it all, I think he's has…qualities…" she said and Robin shook his head.
"I still don't believe it," he replied roughly, "he nearly killed the King. Deceived you, and still tried to kill me on top of all that!"
She shook her head and sighed, "I…don't know what to think right now Robin…please, don't let me think about what's happened between Sir Guy and me."
"Fine…" he replied after a few seconds of silence, not wanting to see her distressed look anymore.
"I heard…about what happened to Sir James," she said after a few minutes of silence, save for the occasional chirping of the birds.
"I should have spotted the trouble the man was going to make as soon as I caught him our trap," Robin was still kicking himself for believing in the good in people when he should have realized that James was as corrupt as Prince John, Sheriff Vaysey, and Gisborne all combined together. Why and how did he get himself distracted by James' flowery words were still beyond him.
"See," Marian said in a knowing tone, making him stare at her in puzzlement, "you and I are alike."
"How?"
"We both want to see the good in everyone before we pass judgment," she replied before a playful smile started to work its way back up her face, "however, I have already passed judgment upon you long before."
"Oh?" he didn't miss the meaning behind her words earlier, but decided to play along this time, "and what is that?"
"You need to still grow up."
He wrinkled his brow, "Ow…"
"Now, if you don't mind…doctor's orders are for me to stay in bed for a while," she made a move to close the shutters on her window before he reached out and grabbed her free hand.
"Just one more kiss?" he asked, hopeful.
She shook his hand off and gave him a small smile, "Anything for you."
She then brought her hand up and blew him a kiss before closing the shutters on his face, leaving him shaking his head in amusement.
END
Author's Notes:
Some tidbits about the ending: My beta reader pointed out that the ending was a bit jarring, like bipolar, and I told her that there were two specific Robin Hood episodes that did the exact same thing: the episode where Roy dies, and the episode where Robin finds out about Gisborne's scar. Those two had the most jarring endings to such serious tone.
Anyways, I hope you've enjoyed reading this story and look forward to more that I will hopefully be posting in the near future. This story started out with me musing about Crusader!Robin and what would happen if he encountered some of his fellow Crusaders that he actually knew instead of someone like Harold. Also, I really like the name James, but instead of casting it on a good-guy character, I wanted my James to be evil and conniving as hell.
Oh yes, to answer any lingering questions, yes James was being set up by Prince John. However, James wasn't told of this and instead was being told to set up the Sheriff. Seems like Prince John has a few loose ends he wants to tie up – oh wait…that's another story idea my muses are poking at. Heh. I'm hoping my next offering will probably be Allan-centric, but we'll see. I actually have a series of stories set out from this one that will follow a pseudo-season 2 of Robin Hood of my own.
And final note, shameless plug, but if you've enjoyed this story a lot and like my writing style, please don't hesitate to check out my other offerings to various fandoms.