It's been too long. Enjoy Carter.

:::

It didn't take long for them to reach the tree, Robin moved to expertly climb it with the rope Carter provided.

"The bird has to be up there," mumbled Marian, watching Robin reach a branch to stand on. "Do you see it?" This is where they found the messenger, Larder had to be in the area and their best guess was in the tree.

"That's it, I think," responded Robin, gazing at something farther up in the tree.

"Can you reach it?" asked Carter, slight amusement in his voice. Robin didn't answer and instead continued up the tree. Carter rolled his eyes, turning around to survey the treeline, catching a glimpse of black. He frowned, hearing the neighing of horses just as he spotted the Sheriff in his usual black attire riding through the woods, Gisbourne and soldiers following.

"The Sheriff's coming!" called Carter, glancing up at the tree. Marian snapped her head in the direction of the neighing as she grabbed her bow and arrows, moving closer to the tree.

"Get out of here, I'll hold them off!" yelled down Robin, always the hero.

Marian ignored his protests, already set on climbing up the tree after the man she loved. She glanced down at Carter, knowing he would not have enough time to climb up as well.

"You need to go. Now," pressed Marian, hoping he would not pull a Robin and play hero in an unfavorable situation. Not even needing such prompt, Carter sprinted into the brush, just narrowly hiding as the horses entered the clearing and Marian reached Robin's position in the tree.

As the horses idled around the tree, an arrow struck one of the soldiers in the shoulder, not a fatal shot by any means. The man easily fell off his horse, just as another soldier barely avoided being shot as well.

"You're surrounded Hood! You're going no where!" gloated Vasey, glaring up at the tree as if he could see Robin right through the leaves.

"Get back on your horse and get reinforcements," Gisbourne ordered the injured soldier who could barely move with the arrow in his shoulder. Knowing this was his chance, and slightly phased by Gisbourne's severe lack of pity, Carter hurried through the cover of bushes and trunks after the soldier who was heading back to the castle.

Using a series of paths through the forest that horses could not easily navigate, the ex-crusader made his way into the path of the injured soldier, unsheathing both of his swords. Just as the horse made its way around the bend, Gisbourne's poor lackey clutching the arrow, perhaps to stop it from moving too much and lessen the pain, Carter swung his weapons, startling the large animal. The horse brought up its two front legs, letting out a whining sound as Carter's blades passed quite close to it. This was enough of a motion to toss the soldier off once again. Carter tried not to laugh as he sheathed his swords and grabbed the horse's reigns to settle it.

"You, my friend, are going to need to give me that armor," he said almost playfully, tying the horse to a nearby tree, the animal having calmed since he no longer had his swords out. The soldier started to sputter something out, Gisbourne's name mixed in his sentences, and tried to reach for the sword at his hip. Carter smiled, easily kicking the man's hand away and ripping the entire belt off the uniform, leaving the already injured man unarmed.

Carter sighed at the whimpering man, realizing that getting off the armor would be a pain with the arrow sticking out of his shoulder, but he couldn't just pull it out. The man would surely bleed out without proper medical attention, and it wasn't as if Carter really cared but he knew Robin would give him a lecture because killing "we do not do" according to Little John. But it wouldn't be his fault – Robin was the one know shot the arrow after all. Carter sighed again.

:::

"Sir Guy wants all available men at Bonchurch," ordered a soldier riding onto the castle grounds, his voice loud in the courtyard. "Robin Hood is planning a drop and Guy wants troops out there waiting to capture him." The soldiers in the courtyard, along with the executioner who had paused in his hanging preparations for two men seemed to give him a look of skepticism.

"Do you want Sir Guy to be angry? Go!" barked the soldier, forcing the soldiers in the courtyard along with those who were milling around the castle balconies to grab their weapons and move toward the stables for their horses. The soldier who had arrived with the news watched them empty out, acting as if it was his duty to make sure no one was trying to get out of this mission. He glanced up at the executioner's platform, narrowing his eyes at the greasy looking balding man and another soldier who was preparing the two victims, a young man and one with odd makeup on.

"You," he addressed the soldier. "Sir Guy wants everyone at Bonchurch."

The soldier didn't respond, standing oddly close to the younger man. The first man shook his head as he dismounted his horse.

"No one is excused. I'll finish this up, you go." He marched up the deck, just as the soldier and executioner fell to the ground, both sporting a stab wound that immobilized them. The first soldier narrowly avoided a swing from the young man before putting his palms up in surrender.

"Hey, hey," started the soldier, removing his helmet and mask. "It's me, ease up on the stabbing." Will let out a breath of relief at the sight of Carter.

"You know this fellow, yeah?" asked the fool suspiciously, noticing Will relaxing and stuffing the bloodied knife into his belt. He was ready to escape himself, but nonetheless it was a relief to see a friendly face.

"Don't worry mate, I'm a friend," said Carter, removing the soldier's uniform. The fool didn't feel that comforted by his words, grimacing as he hid his own knife back up his sleeve.

"Thanks for getting rid of everyone," drawled the fool, glancing around the empty courtyard, all having left to follow Gisbourne's "orders" lest they face his wrath. "It was getting quite crowded."

"Why are you here?" asked Will, knowing that no one had any idea he was captured.

"To save you," said Carter, removing the last of the chainmail and giving Will a smirk as he got off the platform. "Robin and Marian are stuck in a tree with the Sheriff and friends surrounding them. I ambushed a soldier sent to get reinforcements but I guess they'll all be heading to Bonchurch now, and will hopefully stay there while we sort this all out." Will nodded in understanding and the fool kicked at the two injured men, gurgling on the floor.

"What should we do with them? I think I nicked one in the heart," remarked the costumed man, perhaps a little too casually as he watched the two men groan on the floor. Will grimaced, realizing he too had been a little to careless with his move and had aimed close to his executioner's heart. Carter barely spared the two dying men a look as he mounted the horse again, thoughts wandering to the soldier bleeding out in the forest.

"Hang them."

:::

"But it needs more emotion!" The fool came up behind the outlaws planning out Lardner's message, to which they all jumped, reaching for their weapons. He seemed to enjoy chitchatting with the trio, but Carter knew time was of the essence and shoved him out of the way, Will following after, dressed in soldier's garb just as the fool.

"He's with us," explained Carter, causing the three to sigh, lowering their weapons.

"I thought you'd been caught," admitted Djaq, addressing Will as she sheathed her sword. The look they shared didn't go unnoticed by Carter nor Little John.

"Madam, manacles are a mere mist to myself and…" the fool paused, "my mate." Will gave him a slight grin.

"We have a problem," interrupted Carter, seemingly ignoring the fool's boast. "The sheriff and his friends in black have Robin and Marian surrounded in the tree. I already sent most of the soldiers at the castle to Bonchurch so there should be only a few men to deal with."

"We need to go, now," spoke up John, reaching for his quarterstaff as Much hurried to grab his shield.

"Yes, immediately," added the cook, following the group out of the camp where three horses had been tied to trees, one of which Carter had stolen from the injured soldier and two that had been "borrowed" from the castle stable, thanks to the oh so generous stablehand who was probably still unconscious, tied to one of the booth's beams. Djaq immediately gravitated toward Will who mounted one of the horses, pulling herself on behind him. Much seemed to hesitate, glancing at Little John who was saddling up one of the horses and Carter who was already on one and readjusting his swords. The manservant let out some grumbling and reluctantly pulled himself on the saddle behind John who merely grunted and gave him a look.

"Looks like I'm with you, mate," said the fool, somehow having acquired a bow and arrows(probably swiping an extra set from camp) and getting on behind Carter, who simply raised an eyebrow.

Carter snapped the reigns to force the horse to start moving, the other two horses following. "If you try to put your arms around me, I will break them off."

:::

"Come out Hood, it's only a matter of time!" barked out Gisbourne, pacing on his horse. It had only been a few minutes since the sheriff had left to attend to his own business and the reinforcements had yet to arrive, gravely testing his patience.

"Shouldn't have sent that fool. He probably collapsed before he made it," growled out the knight, narrowing his eyes up at the tree before glancing at Allan, ready to send him to get the extra soldiers.

He barely had time to react when a horse ran by, forcing him backwards and startling his horse, nearly causing him to fall off.

"I took care of your little messenger boy," quipped Carter, dismounting the horse and unsheathing both his swords just as his fellow outlaws did upon arriving on the scene. Gisbourne glared at the assassin, slipping off his ride and pulling out his own weapon. He had Hood. There was no way he was going to lose him. The ground below the tree erupted into violence, everyone, even the fool, managing to hold their own against Gisbourne's barely trained men.

Carter had been right, there were barely any soldiers since the reinforcements had never arrived, given the false lead to go to Bonchurch and await Robin Hood. The battle was in the advantage of the outlaws.

"It is unfortunate we meet this way," said Djaq, facing up against Allan who had drawn his weapon but had yet to use it on anyone.

"I don't want to hurt you," Allan said, though it almost sounded like he was mumbling. Djaq quirked an eyebrow.

"How sweet of you." It wasn't meant to mock Allan, but rather something Djaq would just say, and Allan knew this. It was becoming more and more difficult to face his former friends on the field.

:::

"You're not just an incompetent assassin but a traitor, how surprising," Gisbourne growled, stepping forward with a swing of his sword.

Carter dodged Gisbourne's reckless slash, parrying with a swing of his own sword which Gisbourne blocked. The blond didn't respond to the insult, but simply smirked, using his other sword to thrust at Gisbourne. The knight realized this threat and threw back the sword he had blocked and countered the other blade before moving to elbow Carter in the nose. It was a sudden attack, one Carter didn't think Gisbourne was in the right state of mind to even do. He didn't stop, yelling out as he brought down his sword upon Carter's shoulder but the ex-crusader managed to block with both his swords crossed over one another. The force pushed him to his knees, grunting as he felt the blood rushing from his nose.

With a sudden yell, Carter knocked away Gisbourne's sword and knocked him in the chin with the hilt of one of his weapons, causing Guy to stumble back. He barely managed to deflect one of Carter's blades, only to be caught in the throat by the other, resting dangerously close. Carter's smirk grew and Gisbourne could only grimace as the fight came to a standstill, his own soldiers, the ones who had not yet fallen, stopping to see what he would do. Fools, thought Gisbourne. He was working with fools.

"Gisbourne." It was Robin, having come down from the tree while the fight was going on. The amount of rage Gisbourne was feeling at the moment could not be measured on his face, scrunched up in withheld disgust and irritation. Robin smiled his toothy grin, bow hanging loosely from his hand.

"You almost had me this time, I'll give you that," he said, enjoying the view of a helpless Gisbourne at the mercy of Carter's blade. "But unlike your men, mine are competent. And soon, King Richard will know about you and the sheriff." Robin's smile seemed to vanish as he turned to look at Allan, standing off to the side, sword out but not injured nor engaged with any of the outlaws.

"All of you." The blatant disappointment on Robin's face was visible to all, and Carter found himself wondering exactly who that man was. The infamous Allan they all kept mentioning? The traitor. The Judas.

Robin turned his attention back to Gisbourne. "Leave now. You're lucky Carter didn't kill you on the spot."

"This isn't over Hood," Gisbourne bit out, narrowing his eyes at the outlaw.

"It never is with you, is it?"

:::

Originally, Marian had to go back to the castle in this episode (Robin used her as a fake hostage) but of course, having Carter help out changed the need for Robin to make such a drastic move. Also to note, I thought it was really surprising how Will allowed those two guys to hang in his and the fool's place. The gang doesn't kill, as they often point out, but I guess the fool must have convinced Will somehow. Regardless, I decided to give Carter that position, showing how unlike the gang, he still doesn't see a problem with killing other soldiers. Unfortunately the show never deals with Will's take on this, so that might be something I bring up.