I do not own Robin Hood BBC or the characters. Only my own thoughts and that's even questionable.

Knowing something of the loss of a brother-in-arms.

Dedicated to my best friend (Sasquatch). I held you as you died.

For where you have gone I have yet to follow.

(Calvin)

Prologue:

Deviations from script;

Much's talking and ignorance is only an act so he doesn't have to fight as he tends to forget not to kill.

Much survived the Holy Land and fought alongside his master as Robin said in the very first episode. Therefore, he must be at least as good, and knowing how protective he is of his best friend, probably better.

Like my twin we seem to be able to know each other's thoughts and feelings as well as where the other one is. These thoughts/feelings are represented by words here but words cannot truly describe it.

Marian didn't die in the Holy Land, and Djaq and Will returned with Robin and the gang.

For some background to my stories please read:

SilasBrandybuck, Mentor and beta reader. You-ll-Be-the-Death-of-Me

Also:

Empathise-Much

I-Was-There-When-You-Died

Consequences

Calvin, a five foot, eight inch tall, brawny auburn haired sniper stands at attention next to his six foot two inch tall burly red haired spotter Rusty, in front of their King in his private audience chamber with no one else within earshot except the King's servant George. King Richard tells them confidently, "Calvin, Rusty, I have a mission for you. You have both kept in practice I hope." The two men give a single nod and tell him, "Aye Your Majesty. We have." The King continues, "A disturbing message has arrived from Lord Robin and Lord Much through the Sheriff of Nottingham about an urgent situation and have already dispatched a currier authorizing Sheriff Scarlett to try Lord Evans for the attempted murder of their servants.

For quite a long time I have had strong suspicions concerning Lord Evans and as I trust both Robin and Much implicitly, I sent my men to further investigate and have confirmed that as Robin and Much have stated Lord Evans is a traitor and part of the Black Knights. Therefore I have already sent my fastest most trustworthy messenger ahead of you carrying confirmation your orders to Sheriff Scarlett of Nottingham and will reach him a week ahead of you. I have told the Sheriff to bring into his confidence Lord Robin and Lord Much. They are all commanded to assist you as much as you require."

King Richard rises from his chair and steps towards them holding up his arm and pointing at them telling them emphatically, "You can trust them for their devotion to me is as unbreakable as it is between the two of them which is why I officially made them a part of my immediate family after I doubted them once too often and threw them in my dungeon after they killed my treacherous brother and his accomplices Gisborne, Sheriff Vaisey, and his sister. Even after the nooses were removed from around their necks at the last minute when I found that they were telling me the truth, they never broke faith in me."

King Richard stares off into space for a moment then stares intensely at his sniper and spotter and tells them severely, "I trust no other as I trust them."

The two mates nod in understanding and echo one another, "We understand." Rusty asks curiously, "How will we recognize them?" the King says chuckling, "Much looks just like his father and the man standing next to him is his brother Robin." Calvin asks curiously, "Princess Alyssa's Much?" King Richard tells him, "Yes, and I would have been proud to have him marry my daughter except at that time he was Lord Robin's servant and we didn't know that they are brothers."

The King laughs shaking his finger while telling them, "Believe me you'll know. Like the two of you, where one is, so is the other. Just look for two men who, like you, it would take a crowbar to separate and once you meet them I know you will be best mates within seconds." The two men snicker and glance at one another knowing exactly what he means. Calvin says, "Sounds like we will enjoy exchanging stories." King Richard chuckles, glances at George, and humorously tells them, "Then ask them if Much is for sale, if they want any kabobs, and how it was protecting my daughter in the Holy Land." Calvin and Rusty's eyebrows rise at the revelation that Lord Robin and Lord Much protected Princess Alyssa in the Holy Land, then putting two and two together, grin meaningfully. After King Richard is finished laughing he heartily adds, "Then ask them about Robin Hood." Calvin and Rusty look surprised and Calvin asks excitedly, "They know Robin Hood?" The King looks at his smirking servant who tells them, "You could say that."

After the door to the King's private chambers closes behind them reducing the King and George's laughter to a dull roar, Rusty asks his mate curiously, "What do they mean about Robin Hood? I heard he was dead, killed in the fall of Nottingham castle." Calvin shrugs and replies, "I have no idea."

Contemplating what the King had told them on their way to the commissary the Lady Alyssa sees them in the hall and joyfully drags them outside onto the large courtyard overlooking the Castle's vast manicured gardens. From the gardens, Much drops his toys and cries out joyfully at seeing Calvin and Rusty, "Calvin! Rusty!" and runs full bore into the waiting arms of Rusty who picks up the young boy and swings him around, then hugs him tightly. Much squirms to get down and darts to Calvin who repeats the greeting. Calvin places the young boy back on the ground and Much hurries over to Rusty who lifts him up and puts him on his shoulders.

The Princess kisses each sweetly and asks, "Where are the two of you off to?" The two mates glance at one another and remain silent. Princess Alyssa laughs merrily, pats Calvin on his chest and says playfully, "I already know where, I just thought I would be polite." She steps forwards and wraps her hands around the back of Calvin's neck, drags his head to hers, and passionately kisses him on the lips holding him there wide eyed. When she breaks free, he takes a deep breath, but before he can ask, the Princess says warmly, "That is for Much when you see him." Calvin sputters and says embarrassed, "I don't think I can give him the message." Alyssa's laugh is like the sound of a thousand glorious bells ringing harmoniously and tells him passionately, "Just describe it. He'll know." Rusty lifts Much from his shoulders and sets him on the ground getting ready to leave. The two men grin, bow, and hug the Princess and Much once more then resume their journey to the commissary. Rusty looks enviously at the smug grin on his best mate's face and says sarcastically, "I hate you!" Calvin rears his hand back and slaps his mate on his back hard enough to cause him to stumble and says, "Tough!" continuing to grin smugly all the way to the commissary.

Lord Robin and Lord Much, followed by their new manservants, descend the second floor stairs guided by the early morning summertime sun streaming into the manor through the open shutters with the warm morning breeze and are greeted by their new well-dressed Steward who leads them to where their wives are sitting with their handmaidens gossiping. Harold announces plainly, "Lord Robin and Lord Much, my Ladies." then takes his place next to the open doorway. Their wives instantly quiet as their husbands take their usual seats on their deeply padded, richly adorned, arm chairs next to a cold majestic fireplace in the new addition. They sit across from their wives with their new manservants standing behind then as taught. Susan steps in and without a smile bluntly says, "Breakfast will be ready shortly." then leaves without waiting for a response. Much thinks to his brother, She needs a man. They snicker for a moment. Their wives, used to their mental exchanges smile guessing what they are snickering about.

Marian waits for their husbands to relax and tells them fanning herself, "Soon it will be time to move to Bonchurch up in the mountain valley where it's cooler." Eve with a fan in her hand adds in the same conversational tone, "It's starting to get warm here." Robin and Much nod and Robin tells their steward, "Harold see to it. We'll leave by the end of the month," Robin grins at his wife and says happily, "Unless you and Eve give birth that is, then we'll have to stay here until you and our children are ready travel." Much tells them hopefully, "It would be fitting for you to have our children here at Locksley since this is where Robin and I were born."

Marian waves her hand for Bryan to come to her. When he stands beside her, she pulls up his long sleeve, wraps her hand around his skeletal arm, shakes her head and says remorsefully, "I remember when Johnathan first came to us, he was worse off than you are. We kept him bed for weeks until he could stand." She looks at Johnathan fondly then turns her attention to Bryan and says bitterly, "He was tortured by Lord Evans, and now you. Something must be done about him."

Much, his face and eyes turning to stone says savagely, "If we were still outlaws I would know what to do." Robin, having seen his brother's face turn to stone before, reaches over and grips his friend's arm tightly enough to make him turn his head and gazing into his eyes says tranquilly, "But we are not. Calm Much, calm." Much hearing his brother's words and feeling him project calmness into his mind, relaxes and asks, "Then what?"

Harold steps forwards and asks his son hopefully, "While you were a servant at Lord Evans' business did you see anything unusual?" Bryan walking back to his place behind his master thinks for a moment, "I don't know, but I always found it strange that we always used the side entrance, never the main city entrance to transport the barrels to the other towns."

Much, Robin, and Marian echo one another asking startled, "Side entrance?" Bryan looks at Marian and nods. Robin leans forwards with his arms resting on the arm chair and looking up and back asks cautiously, "What side entrance?" Bryan replies somewhat reluctantly being the center of attention, "There is a large opening in the city wall that is hidden by many empty barrels on the inside, and outside the wall it is covered by a large wooden awning. But it's only used for the barrels but occasionally by others."

Robin leans back thinking. His eyes open wide, he stares at his brother, his wife, and they all exclaim, "The Black Knights!" Eve asks, "Who are the Black Knights?" Much tells her, "They were the Nobles who were trying to assassinate King Richard along with Gisborne and Sheriff Vaisey." Eve exclaims, "But that's treason!" Robin replies forcefully, "Yes, and so is an illegal opening in the city walls."

Harold says hatefully, "Looks like we can add treason to attempted murder for Lord Evans." Marian says, "But we need to verify that the entrance exists." bringing them back to earth. Much says, "Then we need to go find the entrance, Robin?" Harold steps forwards and says hopefully, "I can come with you just in case. You might need my help." Robin tells him sincerely, "We need you stay here and guard our families."

But before Harold can respond a call rings out from the kitchen, "BREAKFAST!" Marian grins and says capitulating, "I'm just glad she doesn't do that when we have guests."

The men step over to their wives and Robin gives them a cheeky grin asking, "Are you sure you can get up? We can always serve you here." Both women slap their husbands playfully on their arms and grinning lift up their arms to be helped. In one smooth motion their husbands hoist them to their feet and into their loving embrace kissing them passionately. Then, wrapping one arm around their pregnant wives' waist and taking their other arm in their hand they lovingly escort them to the breakfast room followed by their grinning servants.

That night under a partly cloudy sky Robin and his brother, dressed as peasants, conceal themselves among the sick and destitute as they slowly stagger along the outer city walls guided by the weak light from a waxing moon and light from the many torches, candles, and fires made by the transients, peasants, and the destitute who have built their meager hovels against the outer wall.

As Robin and Much shamble along on the churned up mud trail hidden within the crowd, they check each of the largest ramshackle structures as they move. The moon creeps across the heavens as they continue to check the multitude of structures, then chuckle when they come to a large, brazier lit, wood and stone construction brazenly extending from the city wall as though it was constructed along with the city wall. Much shakes his head in wonder about why he had never heard of this entrance from gossiping with other servants in times past.

Much chuckles quietly and whispers, "Why don't they just hang a sign?" Robin whispers to his mate, "Since Sheriff Vaisey and Gisborne were the leaders of the conspiracy, any reports of this structure were simply ignored until it was generally taken that it was an authorized entrance." Moving along with the opposite flowing crowd, they shamble back the way they came far enough away from the structure to be sure of being hidden by darkness then run to the tree line and walk back inside the forest to look at the structure. Once across from it they try not to laugh too loudly nudging each other. There hanging above the entrance to the barn like construction is a long wooden engraved sign stating 'Mead and Ale' with the merchant's emblem of three stacked barrels on either side of the words. Robin comments benignly, "No wonder the Black Knights could come and go without being seen." Much points to a small sign supported by a stick closer to the ground: 'Entry 10 p' Robin shakes his head chuckling and they quietly leave. When they reach the stables outside the main gates they mount their horses and ride back to Locksley to tell the others what they found.

Once back at Locksley sitting in their favorite chairs with a tankards of mead, ale, and wine Marian, Eve, and their servants, laugh heartily when Robin tells them humorously pointing up like he's pointing to the sign, "They even had a sign above the structure stating 'Mead and Ale' with three stacked barrels on either side." Marian laughing asks, "Oh come on… They couldn't be that blatant, could they?" The brothers nod in unison and Marian asks, "So what shall we do?" Much thinking fast hopefully replies, "We ride to London to inform the King and get a letter of authorization to put Lord Evans on trial. It will only take us a few days at the most." Eve squints at her husband knowing that his son by the hauntingly beautiful Princess Alyssa resides there and asks, "Why not have the Sheriff send the letter?" Much, recognizing the look she's giving him, looks down and away remaining quiet as Robin receives a mental image of the Princess Elyssa from his brother and laughs. Harold stares curiously at Robin who whispers to him, "Our innocent Much isn't so innocent. We share many secrets." Harold's eyes open wide and he stares at his other master who grins cheekily glancing up at him in response.

The next morning Robin and Much mount their wagon departing to Nottingham castle with Richard, Bruce, and Johnathan after caving in to their wives insistence that Bryan is in no shape to go with them to Nottingham. Robin asks his brother, "You did ask if James and Thomas want to come along?" Much tells him sadly, "They still refuse, and where and how we found them, I don't blame them. I just hope that one day they will overcome their fear of what happened to them." Robin replies seriously, "We might have to give them no choice one day."

Robin snaps the reins and they depart with Much casting a solemn backwards glance at Robin's manservant standing pitifully alone in the middle of the courtyard gazing forlornly after them wearing cinched up clothes exaggerating his skeletal form.

Much gazes hopefully at his former master causing Robin to give in but tells him grinning as he stops the wag, "Remember this was your idea." Much grins broadly, turns, and waves to Bryan. In a moment Bryan jumps up into the back of the wagon grinning ear to ear and sits with the other servants. Much, pointing his finger at him, trying to be stern tells him while grinning, "I'm already going to catch hell for this so don't add to it by carrying any more than I give you, we don't want any broken bones." He glances at Johnathan then adds, "Do you hear me?" Bryan nods enthusiastically and waves back at his father who's standing in the manor door watching them depart ginning slyly knowing exactly why the lads never give up a chance to attend the Lords when traveling to visit the Sheriff or go shopping in Nottingham.

When they reach Nottingham Castle, Robin hands over the reins to the castle stable hands and bringing their servants with them, request an audience with their true and loyal friend Will Scarlett, the Sheriff of Nottingham and his beloved wife Djaq. When announced, they are ushered into the Sheriff's private chambers where a silken handmaid quietly guides each of the young servants to one of the ornate overstuffed English chairs as their masters recline on the richly colored firm pillows watching their manservants ginning cheekily as Will assists his pregnant wife into a heavily cushioned chair and takes the one next to her.

Smiling, Djaq claps her hands four times, and from the back doorway enter four petite tanned goddesses glide smoothly into the room seemingly without feet. The three men and Djaq grin watching as the young lad's eyes open wide watching the maids flow towards them. Robin motions that their servants be served first and they watch as the young men unconsciously swallow hard placing their hands in their laps as a maiden approaches each with a mug of sweet mead, then reluctantly lifting one hand while gazing into the maiden's eyes accepting the mug from the mind numbingly gorgeous angels. As the maids serve their masters the mugs of ale, the young men's eyes constantly dart from one heavenly maiden to another, never leaving the ethereal forms until they once more drift through the doorway they entered from.

Will grins and asks pleasantly, "To what do I owe the honor of this visit my Lords?" Robin swallows as his eyes follow the ethereal maids gliding out of the room, shifts on the firm pillows, and says distractedly, "We have a problem with Lord Evans." Will nods expecting this to come before him and asks, "Do you have any evidence?" Recovering, Robin tells him, "Only what our servants Bryan and Johnathan have told us. But we believe that once Lord Evans is put to trial, his other servants will confirm our charge of torture and the attempted murder of Johnathan and Bryan." Much, tearing his eyes away from the silk draped doorway stutters helpfully, "Robin and I have also found an illegal entrance through the city walls within his establishment." Will sits upright and asks incredulously, "An illegal entrance? Where?" Much laughs shaking his head in wonder, "Just take a ride around the outside of the city walls, you can't miss it." Shocked, Will calls out loudly, "Guard!" When the guard appears he commands him, "Change into civilian clothes, take a horse, and ride around the outside wall. You are looking for an illegal entrance." The guard, not giving it a second thought asks rhetorically, "Oh, you mean Lord Evans' Mead and Ale entrance?" Will stares at the guard shocked, blind-sided by his statement, sits back, then tells him with a disgusted sigh, "Never mind." and waves the guard away. After the guard departs he asks Robin, "What do you want me to do?" Robin tells him, "Send a letter to the King asking to try Lord Evans for treason and attempted murder." Will calls for his scribe and with Robin's help drafts a letter to the King then calls for his most reliable currier. Sheriff Scarlett tells the messenger as he hands over the document, "Hand this directly to King Richard. Tell him is from Lord Robin, Lord Much, and I." The currier bows and departs.

Once the currier has left Will tells the brothers, "When I receive his response I will send my messenger to you." Robin downs the last of his ale followed swiftly by the others and replies regretfully, "Then we will take our leave." Djaq nods and once again claps her hands and the ethereal maids glide back in to retrieve the mugs, giving each young man a lingering seductive gaze while delicately running their fingers from their under their ear and across their cheeks, each finger curling one after another as they delicately leave their chin, then one at a time the maids smoothly exit the room leaving the lads with a feeling that only angels have pasted through. Much looks at their enamored servants and asks humorously, "Ready to leave?" To a lad they shake their red faced heads with their hands placed strategically in their laps. Djaq, laughing gaily, lifts her arms and Will steps in front of his pregnant wife and helps her to her feet so that she stands pressing against him gazing into one another's eyes. Djaq smiles, kisses her love deeply, then walks over and gives Robin and Much a kiss on the cheek, looks back the young men, winks, and leaves through the same door the maids departed through.

Robin motions for the lads to rise, and as the men chuckle the young men quickly stand and swiftly turn away hiding their acceptance of the seductive maiden's departing gift. As their servants depart, Much and Robin grin and grasp hands with their close friend then follow their servants out into the courtyard.

Laughing, Much runs up suddenly between Bryan and Johnathan and drapes an arm around each of their necks and laughing rhetorically asks, "Beautiful, aren't they?" All three young men echo, "Yes master." still walking funny and after a while able to remove their hands. Robin strides passed them, waves and says, "Oh, come on…" leading them to the stables. Once at their wagon Much reaches in and hands each of their servants several cloth sacks and takes more for himself while Robin recovers several sheets of parchment from the shelf under the driver's seat, sighs and reads the seemingly endless list to them, then leads the group into the loud open market among the milling brightly clothed crowd and the vast quantities of food and products that have arisen since the return of the King.

In amongst the throngs of people the boys enjoying themselves pick over the baskets, sacks, and crates, placing in their bags the items pointed at by their masters. At the cloth shop Robin asks Much exasperated, "What type? Marian has the color but not the style and there are four." Much looks with sympathy at his brother and says with a shrug, "Pick one. It doesn't matter, it'll be wrong anyway." From beside him he hears Johnathan snicker and playfully back hands him on his stomach receiving a satisfying 'Oof' as Robin picks up a bolt of cloth and hands it smiling to Johnathan. They continue as a group through the market rifling through the offered goods and filling their bags hoping that what they have purchased is correct.

When they arrive at a ancient giant oak dominating the junction connecting radially extending streets, Robin and Much sit on the provided benches under it in between the tailor shop and the bath house, their servants deploy their sacks around them then stand in eager anticipation. Robin snickers at their hopeful looks and gives each lad a shilling. But then cautions them, "Don't forget Richard, James and Thomas." looking at each meaningfully. Bryan asks, "What of the girls?" Much tells them, "Marian and Eve have already provided a list for them, and as none of you need clothes, you may use the shilling as you wish." Robin, handing Bryan a parchment asks, "Do you know how to read?" Bryan looks over the list and nods, "I recognize these words and know what they mean." Robin hands Bryan two sacks and palms him a sovereign watching his manservant's eyes go round. Robin grips his wrist and whispers to him evenly, "Get only what is on the list and bring back the rest." Bryan nods and darts off into the crowd leaving the other lads behind staring after him.

Much motions swiftly with his hand and says humorously, "Well? Shoo!" After the lads have all dashed off excitedly, he rises and casually walks over to The Twin Crusader's Tavern, pours two tankards of ale, and returns handing one to his best mate. They toast one another and spend their time watching the people come and go, mentally conversing and laughing while quietly rating the appealing attributes from the opposite, although sometimes not so fairer sex watching two scantily clad but heavily armed women stride by them not giving them a second look followed slavishly by two overly muscled well-armed men clad in like fashion. Much chuckles and shares an image of the huge Germanic brute that he fought and tells him, "Muscles aren't everything."

After a time Bryan comes trotting up with two bags of the requested expensive items and hands Robin back eight shillings. Robin stares at the eight shillings, shows Much, and they look appreciatively at Bryan. Bryan smiles and tells them covertly, "You just have to know how to bargain." Robin encloses the shillings in his hand, shakes them in his fist, then hands them back to Bryan and says, "Say nothing. Now go get what you want." Bryan stares at the nine shillings now in his hand and breathes loyally, "Thank you masters…" and runs off disappearing into the milling crowd. Much says to his brother, "I think you have another Johnathan." The brothers toast Bryan and sit smiling at their extraordinary fortune of having such loyal servants.

After another mug of ale, their young servants come barreling back to them, all happily talking at once, wanting to show them everything that they have bought and how much they have remaining. Robin and Much enthusiastically commend them on their achievements smiling constantly at the sweets and trinkets but not asking why they bought them. Robin looks at Bryan who covertly shows him eight of the nine shillings he has left despite the numerous packages he holds. Robin claps the young man on his shoulder motioning him to hide his remaining coins. Then thinks to his brother, 'He still has eight shillings, frugal just like Johnathan. I think that soon after he recovers his strength we can send him and Johnathan to do this for us. Give them a key?" Much winks back grinning proudly at their manservants. Much casts his eyes over their servants and tells them as well as his brother, "They all need to be trained to defend themselves though." Robin, looking over their servants says in agreement, "I agree. After Bryan gets his strength back we shall train them."

Their servants glance at one another grinning ear to ear having seen their masters spar in the glade behind Locksley and Bonchurch and nod enthusiastically in agreement. Robin, handing Johnathan their mugs tells him, "Take Richard with you and get all of you a pint of mead and bring us each a pint of ale… Go on…" Much sends Bryan and Bruce off to get them all something to eat while Johnathan and Richard run off to The Twin Crusader's Tavern. When they return Bryan and Johnathan distributes food and drink to their masters and they all sit on the benches, eating and drinking while watching the people go by.

After a time, Robin looks at their servants and asks, "All finished, did you all eat? Food not candy. We need to be getting back to Locksley." Their servants happily tell them what they had to eat then Robin motions for Johnathan and Bruce to gather the mugs and take them back to the tavern. When they return Robin watches Bryan load up his arms with purchased items and steps up to him taking most of the bags from him distributing them among the other young men chastising him mildly, "Bryan, not yet. If you were to break an arm we will never hear the end of it." Much adds, "I'm already going to catch hell from letting you come along, but hopefully how well you did purchasing the items we sent you for, I hope that will pacify our wives." They gather the bags and follow their Lords to the stables, fill and mount the wagon.

When they arrive back at the manor, Robin hands Bryan the two lightest bags and sends him off with the other servants. Bryan makes a point to hand over his bags directly to Marian and Eve so they can see how light they are. Afterwards, Robin and Much direct the other servants on the disposition of the other packages. When their husbands approach, Marian and Eve allow their men to kiss them but for the rest of the day give them the cold shoulder.

After half a day of their wives ignoring them, that evening Much and Robin followed by their manservants, enter the sitting room and Much asks exasperated, "Alright, what's wrong?" Eve glances up at him from her embroidery telling him sharply, "Nothing…" as Marian pointedly ignores her husband's pleading gaze. Robin and Much exchange a quick look of exasperation and Robin exclaims rankled, "Sorry! But what could we do? Just leave him here alone? You know damn well that he's already like Johnathan and won't leave my side! Besides… He did just fine and you should have seen him bargain for some of these goods. Much adds, "And we never let him carry anything too heavy."

Receiving only a heavy silence from their wives, Robin and Much throw up their hands incensed, and followed quietly by their manservants, stalk angrily out of the room. Marian and Eve glance between themselves pleased then at their hand maids, who continue their handy work smiling faintly, knowing that they have won in making their point.

Robin storms down the stairs from their study, tosses Much his prized sword and Harold his twin Saracen swords and says tersely, "Come on." The Lords stride to the glade behind the manor followed by their frightened young servants. The Crusaders remove their tunics tossing them to their manservants then Robin, Much, and Harold engage in furious melee, their blades flashing with the colors of the evening sunset ringing out loudly and rapidly as they strike and parry unaware of being watched by their wives and their handmaids from inside the windows who are becoming concerned by the intensity of their practice.

As they spar Much begins feeling, Bryan deserved to come with us, he's Robin's servant! Don't they understand? I couldn't just leave him! What's wrong with them? Eve hates me, she never loved me in the first place. Even Marian hates me. I don't understand! Much can feel from within his anger his mind beginning to be swallowed back to his assassin indoctrination helpless to prevent it. He projects a last frightened thought before succumbing, 'Robin help…' as his consciousness is crushed into the far corner of his mind leaving only the trained assassin in its place.

Robin hears his twin's feeble thoughts of misgiving and feeble plea for help as he watches Much's face and eyes gradually turn to stone, a look he dreads every time it happens dating back to when Much was captured after drawing off a legion of Saracen Warriors in loyal effort to protect him after the successful completion of a mission in the Holy Land.

Robin focuses all of his energy in his defense as Much's sword and footwork becomes ever more lethal, smoother, and unpredictable. Upon hearing his twin's feeble cry, he calls out in his command voice, "MUCH, HOLD!" The trained assassin with his highly polished blade glinting intensely in the evening sunset tenses his muscles and grins wildly at his opponent ready to strike the final two handed blow when he hears his master's command. So ingrained into the very fabric of his soul is his obedience to his master's voice that he instantly obeys without thought nor question, though not knowing or understanding why.

From behind the two Harold realizes that Much has reverted back to his assassin training as he turns his undivided attention upon his brother and continues to use more and more lethal strikes. When Harold hears Robin's command and sees Much freeze, he drops his twin Saracen blades lunging forward grabbing the tattooed assassin around his upper arms and chest locking him in an iron embrace forcing the broken assassin to drop his cherished sword. Harold tightens his grip as the assassin struggles violently to be released not fully recognizing the feel, sound, nor smell of the Crusader restraining him.

Robin drops his sword and rushes forwards griping his fractured friend with a hand on either side of his stubbled face forcing him to look him in the eye and commands him verbally as he forces his thoughts into his brother's frenzied mind, "MUCH, it's me! MUCH, calm down." Much's mind snaps to the fore and locks recognizing the familiar voice, face, and smell of his companion as he yet strains against the iron hold from behind while staring into a pair of recognizable eyes and whispers pleadingly, "Tell me." Robin adjusts his grip on his best friend's face and says endearingly, "I love you Much." emphasizing his spoken words with an even more intense emotion.

Upon hearing the only three words spoken by the single voice that can cut through his mental conditioning, his tortured mind clears as he fully recognizes the familiar face, eyes, and smell of his best mate and reverently breathes, "Robin…" and slowly ceases staining against Harold's vise like hold. When Harold feels his friend relax, he releases him and Robin catches his crumbling friend keeping him from collapsing while mentally repeating to him the emotion of the three words until he senses his brother's mind clear and can stand on his own.

Much steps back continuing to hold onto his brother's upper arms as he bows his head muttering regretfully, "My apologies Master, I became angry and forgot myself." Robin, his hands under his mate's elbows stabilizing him, dips his head down to look into Much's bowed face and tells him soothingly, "Don't worry about it. Come on, enough practice for today." Robin pats his brother on his arms then bends over and picks up their swords handing them to Harold leaving their tunics with their manservants. Much turns to Harold and tells him gratefully, "Thank you Harold." Harold nods and gives him a friendly clap on his back.

As the brothers and their servants approach the manor's kitchen door, their wives followed closely by their handmaids all with frightened expressions etched on their faces, shuffle out the kitchen door as fast as their pregnant bodies will allow them and into the open arms of their husbands hugging them tightly and kissing them fearfully. Eve backs away first still holding onto her man's arms and his hers, and asks panicked, "What was that all about? You could have killed your own brother." Marian backs away as well looking dubiously at her man as Robin replies dispassionately, "He could never have harmed me. He loves me, you saw him halt when commanded." Marian gives Much her expectant look and asks simply, "Much?"

Robin hangs his head knowing that Much never could resist Marian's questioning and awaits his answer thinking swiftly ready to perform damage control if need be. Much glances at Robin and tells Marian in a steady voice, "You both know how I received my tattoos so sometimes when I get angry I tend to forget myself and revert to my assassin's training. But Robin is correct, I could never have harmed him. We've been together since birth and his servant for most of my life. Even from before our time in the Holy Land, when I hear his command I can do nothing else except instantly obey." The twin brothers share a fond glance and thought between them and their wives once more fetch them into their arms and kiss them deeply then Marian tells Richard and Bruce, "Go draw two hot baths and call when they are ready." Robin and Much take their wives by their arms and help them back into the manor and into their sitting room where they stay with them and Much retells his story about being captured by the Nizaris Assassin cult and rescued by Robin.