"Robin!"

Robin and Much looked up from the tracks they were studying on the ground.

"It's Will!" Much cried.

Will Scarlet was indeed riding towards them, and sitting in front of him in the saddle was Robin's daughter Ellen.

When Ellen saw her father, she began crying. It was a good sign for her to cry, Will thought. He had been concerned that she hadn't uttered a sound since Allan had pulled her from the chest.

Robin's eyes were filling with tears as well. He dropped his bow, lifted Ellen off Will's horse, and held her tightly to his chest. Will saw him breath a prayer of thanks towards Heaven, and then he thanked Will. Much was crying harder than anyone.

"Daddy, I'm sorry," said Ellen. "I wet myself."

Robin tried to sound natural, as if nothing unusual had happened. "That's alright, Ellie. We'll get you home and have a bath. Are you hungry?" He gently wiped away the dried blood under her nose with his thumb.

Much could tell that Robin was nearly exploding inside. Much needed answers as well. "What happened, Will? Is Gisborne dead? Where's Allan? Have you seen Marian?"

Will spoke quietly. "Haven't seen her. Allan found Gisborne's camp, at least we think it's Gisborne. Haven't seen him, either. Allan's still there, looking for his money."

"We have to go!" Much exclaimed. "Robin, we have to go!"

"Go where?" came a gruff voice behind them. Little John had joined them.

"Gisborne's camp!" Much continued. "We can't leave Allan there alone! We have to go!"

Robin looked grim. More than anything at this moment, he wanted to find Gisborne and put an end to this himself. But Ellen was clinging to him, and he knew he couldn't leave her with anybody else right now. He felt that as much as his men needed him, his child needed him more.

"Go without me," he said with difficulty. "You have served me well, my friends. Godspeed till we meet again."

"But, Robin," Much objected, "We can't do this without you!"

"We go, NOW!" said Little John.

And so, Robin took his child back to the safety and security of home, while Will led the others to Gisborne's camp.

At that camp, Allan found himself looking into the sneering face of his former master.

"That's my money now, Allan," stated Gisborne. "Payment for the money you took from me."

"I earned my keep," said Allan.

"It wasn't part of the arrangement for you to betray me!" Gisborne drew his sword, and the battle began.

Both men were expert fighters. Gisborne had the skill, strength, and training of a knight, but Allan was determined and bold. After several minutes, Gisborne managed to knock Allan's sword away. Pinning his back against a tree, Gisborne put his knife to Allan's throat.

"You were supposed to serve me! You led me to believe you were mine!"

"You never owned me," Allan sneered.

"And then, when I trusted you, you betrayed me to my enemy!"

"You're low," Allan said. "What you did to that child…you're low."

"And you …are dead!"

Gisborne drew back his sword to plunge it into Allan's chest. Allan braced himself, but then saw Gisborne reel and stumble to the ground. An arrow was lodged in his back. An arrow had perfectly pierced his heart, causing him to die instantly.

"Robin!" exclaimed Allan in relief.

But looking up, the figure he saw holding the bow was not Robin. It was Marian.

Just as Gisborne had predicted, Marian had indeed found him.

THE END