Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood or Robin, Marian, Gisborne, Much, et al. I am making no money off of this endeavor. All I've earned is the joy in the writing and the possibility of some nice feedback.

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Marian: Through the Looking Glass, Chapter One

Marian eyed Much for several long seconds until she was sure he would do as Robin had asked.

He finally nodded, almost imperceptibly, and Marian offered a single nod in return before moving around him and back to her horse.

Much was such a ninny sometimes. And such a man that he let himself be blinded by a pretty face. She smiled. Even Guy could be persuaded by half a smile and a batted lash. The only men who seemed impervious to her charms were—she shuddered—the sheriff and Robin.

Marian sighed as he swung herself into her saddle and turned Vesper toward Knighton Hall. It was already dark, and she was still a good ten to fifteen minutes from home. Father would be worrying soon, and she did not wish to raise his ire. But she dared not risk going faster than a walk until she reached the crossroads.

The path from Bonchurch to the crossroads wound along the edge of the forest. The area near Bonchurch was unfamiliar to Marian, the lodge having been empty for quite some time before the sheriff decided to use Much, and she rarely came this far out, even as the Night Watchman. Still and all, it was a lovely evening to be out.

The moon sat fat and white on the lower edge of the sky, the stars just now showing. Soon, the dark sky would be filled with stars. Just a hint of sweet-scented flowers still tinted the cooling air.

Vesper sidestepped and quivered in nervousness. Marian patted the horse's neck. "What is it, girl?" she asked, her own senses going on alert.

The horse blew air out of her nostrils and began prancing. The harness chinked and clanked softly in the night. An owl's hoot sounded across the cool night air. The buzz and thrum of the night insects filled the silence.

Marian tightened her hold on the reins and glanced around; she saw nothing except the shadows of bushes and trees. She wasn't really afraid of the forest...Robin's presence kept it free of other, less honorable, outlaws. But she couldn't help the ripple of apprehension that shook her.

Without warning, Vesper reared slightly and took off at a canter when she landed, jerking Marian slightly off balance. Marian's heartbeat instantly matched Vesper's frantic stride. Marian adjusted her seat and her hold on the reins, allowing the horse to relieve its fright with speed.

The close screech of a night bird sent Vesper veering for the forest. As Vesper crashed through the trees and underbrush, panicked creatures flew in every direction, startling Marian and scaring Vesper even further.

Marian leaned low along Vesper's neck to keep from being caught by low hanging branches or the skeletal arms of the bushes, her heart thundering in time to Vesper's irregular cadence. But the bare branches grabbed at her hair, yanking harshly.

Suddenly, Vesper stopped and reared. Marian lost her balance and her seat.

"Robin!" she screamed, the sound echoing through the night. Another flight of birds, or possibly bats, rushed through the trees.

Tumbling out of the saddle, she fell sideways and backwards, her left foot wedging in the stirrup. Her ankle wrenched painfully, and she cried out as she hung upside down, her shoulders and head hitting the ground hard. A large, sharp stone dug into her head, blinding pain radiated into her arms and legs. Groaning, she clenched her eyes shut against the intense pain.

The horse continued her forward movement, dragging Marian with her; Marian's shoulder and head thudded along the hard, uneven ground, making her head pound with each bump. It hurt so badly, she could barely think, not to mention the horrible throbbing in her ankle, but she had to free herself.

Marian tried to lift herself up to grab for the reins, but her arms were too sluggish and numb to work properly; her ankle protested with a blast of pain that robbed her of breath; and the reins were too far out of her reach. She let herself roll backwards again, sobbing and gasping for air. She swiped an arm across her eyes.

Vesper finally stopped, and Marian took a moment to gather herself.

She would have one more go at freeing herself from the stirrup, and if she could not, she'd just have to be dragged through the forest by the horse.

Taking several deep breaths, she rolled herself up and forward and reached for her ankle. Excruciating pain roiled from her ankle, up her leg, and then reached her head in a huge explosion of hurt.

Marian's cried out and grabbed her head, her body jerking back to her mostly upside down position.

The horse startled again and took off. Spots of blackness swirled about her even with her eyes closed, and she bounced along for several interminable seconds, her head banging along the ground and several large rocks, until her foot finally pulled loose from her boot.

Marian landed with a final thud, but then everything was blessedly still. The ground vibrated mildly as Vesper galloped away, the sound of her hooves beating against the earth fading into silence.

Throbbing and pounding reverberated through her body. Blackness encroached and she had neither the strength nor the will to fight it very hard. She just hoped that someone found her horse and realized she was missing sooner rather than later.

The cool night air settled on her and she shivered. Thankfully, it was mid-summer, so the chance of her expiring from the elements was rather non-existent. Now, creatures coming to nibble on her for dinner was quite another thing...but at this point, she didn't care...couldn't care. She just had to find relief from the pain...the darkness pressed in on her, the pain waning into nothingness...

To be continued…

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