Disclaimer: I do not own Robin Hood or the principal characters.

Please read and review!!! This is my first RH fanfic, so please be nice!

Robin tried to remember the last time it had snowed in Nottingham. He gazed out over the frozen white blanket, the familiarity of the forest now transformed by the winter. He shivered, the frigid air sending a sharp pain through him. His woolen cloak was now threadbare, and the nights were cold at the camp. Memories of winters at Locksley invaded him, how he and Much would sit by the fire, dreaming of becoming the King's finest warriors one day, he and Marian's first kiss on St. Stephen's festival….

Marian.

It had been months now, but the loss of her was fresher than any wound. He thought of how she would have dealt with the hard winter, making sure the villagers had proper blankets, sneaking them food from the castle…

"MASTER!!" Much's piercing yell cut through his reverie. "A LITTER! THERE'S A LITTER COMING THROUGH!!"

Robin gave an exasperated sigh. "Alright, well we don't want them scared off, do we?" He dragged down Much behind the tree as John and Allan made their way to the other side.

Much was right, there was indeed a litter, a very wealthy-looking one at that. At the head of the party, on a white horse, rode a portly, middle-aged man dressed in scarlet velvet. On the litter, a figure completely covered in white fur reclined, while an elderly woman rode at her side. Most unusual however, were the horribly familiar men surrounding them.

"That's the sheriff's guard." Much noted, unnecessarily. "Why is the sheriff's guard with them?"

"Well, we're about to find out, aren't we?" Quick as lightning, he fired an arrow at the leader. As he had planned, it struck the purse at his side, causing a shower of gold to fall out.

At once, the guard drew their bows out and formed a circle around the litter, aiming in every direction possible. The leader, however, simply looked at his ruined purse and rolled his eyes. In a bored drawl, he called out "All right, it's an ambush, let's get it over with, shall we? No need to be coy, I was told to expect this."

On cue, Robin and Much stepped out, bows drawn. "Oh then, my friend, so you're all prepared to feed the poor of Locksley tonight, are you?"

"Indeed not. As you see, my dear friend Vasey has lent me the use of his guards. My nuptials take place this evening at Nottingham Castle, and I would hate for a penny of my dear bride's…" he gestured to the litter, "…dowry to be wasted."

At his words, Robin felt his temper flare. Nuptials? Vasey and Gisbourne could stand to play host to a wedding after they together had destroyed so many lives, his included? Together, they had torn his home, his inheritance, even his marriage to pieces, and they had the gall to…

No. Marian's death was, ultimately, his fault. He should have protected her, no matter how much she argued otherwise. Keeping his temper, and winking at John and Allan across the clearing, he spoke his next words calmly as possible.

"Well then, he should have warned you of something else."

"Ah?"

"It's bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony." At once, he, Much, John, and Allan fired arrows into four of the guards. As swords were drawn and the charge began, Robin felt a strange, almost bloodthirsty relief stirring in the pit of his stomach. He needed a good fight. The soldier in him had rested long enough.

Almost blindly, they began slashing and moving in the timeless rhythm of battle. Even the scarlet-clad man joined in the fighting, he moved with surprising agility for someone of his bulk. Guards fell left and right, Robin himself received a bad cut on his arm, but it didn't matter, he welcomed the pain. He rarely felt anything these days, even the sharp sting of a sword was a relief to the perpetual ache in his heart.

"My Lord!" In the midst of the fighting, he heard the old woman cry out. "My, Lord, she's disappeared! I swear, I turned my head for only a moment…"

"Oh for Heaven's sake, not again. Guards! Forget the outlaws! Find the girl!" Groaning, the leader jumped back up on his horse. Catching John's eye, Robin gave the signal for retreat.

They finally caught up with her, a blur of white on a grey horse, riding at breakneck speed. Robin took aim, and fired an arrow into the horse's backside, causing it to sink down to its knees. In a panic, the girl whirled around, looking for her captors. The outlaws moved in closer, and Allan approached her.

"Look love, we won't hurt you, just…"

His sentence was cut off by her hands at his collar. Quick as a flash, she whirled him around with his back against a tree, a dagger at his throat. The girl's wide, beautiful grey eyes were inches away from his, her sharp teeth bared in a murderous snarl.

"If you lay one finger on me I shall slit your throat so slowly and painfully you will rue the day you were born."

"Are you practicing for your wedding night there, miss?" Robin, Much and John circled the tree, swords drawn. Removing her gaze from her captive, she sized up each of them in turn. Groaning, she removed her dagger from Allan's throat and began to fumble with her cloak. There were tears in her expensive, ice-blue velvet gown, but she did not seem to have noticed. She tore off a silver chain around her throat, ripped off her pearl earrings, and hastily pulled off her ivory kid gloves. Drawing her knife, she threw them at Robin.

"Here. That's all of value I own. Now take it and leave me be."

"Oh…what about that there?" Robin gestured to a small gold band around her thumb, where the glint of a ruby could clearly be seen.

Worry flitted across her face, but only for a second. "It's old. False. Of no value." She kept her grip firm on the knife, but her hand began to tremble.

"Madam, if you are going to survive on your own in the forest, then you must learn to lie better. Now let me see that ring." He caught her arm and drew her towards him. A sudden jolt of pain flashed across his face, and he doubled over. When he looked up, the girl was running off, but she did not get very far. Stumbling over the hem of her cape, she tripped and fell directly in a snowbank.

"Aaagh!" She sat up, her face brilliant red and dripping wet, snow sprinkling her tousled chestnut hair and expensive gown. Angry as she was, the sight of her was irresistibly comical, and Allan could not resist a spurt of laughter.

"Think it's funny, do you?" she snapped, giving him a glare that could make the mightiest warrior wince. Allan stopped. She turned to Robin, who wore a pleasant smile on his face. "What do you want of me, sir?"

"I want to help you, madam. You see…" He leaned closer, gave her his hand, and whispered the timeless words. "I'm Robin Hood."

His declaration was met with a loud, derisive snort. "And I'm King Richard." Refusing his hand, she hauled herself up, brushing the snow off.

Taken aback, Robin stared. "You don't believe me?"

"Please. You're the third Robin Hood I've encountered on this godforsaken journey. Now, sir, if you have any mercy at all you will leave me be." She turned around. "What have you done to the horse?" She spun around wildly, becoming frantic. Just in time, she saw Much pulling the arrow out of its' flank, giving it a pat on the back, and sending it on its' way. She gave a shriek of outrage: "NO!!! You idiot!! You realize what you've done?? If Sir Hugo or the sheriff's men are able to track the right footprints…"

"Is marriage to Sir Hugo really so terrible, madam?" Robin interrupted. "He has wealth, position, is clearly a great friend of the sheriff and Prince John …"

"He is also a greedy, selfish, despicable oaf who us not worthy to call himself a man. Besides, the only man I have ever loved, ever will love, is dead. I will never betray him, not even while he lies cold and buried." Her words were fierce enough, but the sharp glint of tears pricked her eyes. This new vulnerability awakened pity…something Robin had not felt since Marian's death. Studying her, he saw that in spite of her red nose, scuffed cheeks and bedraggled appearance, she was still a lovely girl, no more than nineteen or twenty.

"What's your name?"

She bit her lip, measuring him up, then taking in every member of the gang, her eyes narrowed. John stepped towards her, and spoke in a gentle, paternal voice.

"Lass, you can trust him. Here." Taking out his tag, he gave it to her to inspect. She took it and turned it over, analyzing the treelike marking, the small thin frame. Keeping a safe distance from the girl and eyeing her with trepidation, Allan spoke up.

"Look, I'm not being funny, but shouldn't we be getting a move on? I mean they'll come looking…"

"There! There she is! The outlaws have got her!" Everyone whirled around as the sound of hoofs pounding came closer, and the black of the sheriff's guard stood out starkly, dark specks against the snow. The girl whipped around and uttered a curse word that Robin had never heard before on a lady's lips. Suddenly inspired, he glanced up at the neighboring tree.

"D'you think you can climb that?" he asked her, gesturing upwards. She nodded, understanding and began to scuffle up it as fast as her garments would allow. She disappeared out of sight just as five guardsmen approached, swords drawn.

"What have you done with my Lady Jeanette?" the leader barked.

"Well we tried to stop her, but…"

"Don't make me laugh, Hood. You couldn't overcome a defenseless girl?"

"Her? Defenseless? Look what she did to me! And him!" Allan gestured towards the cuts on his throat and Robin's face. The guards laughed.

"Oh, the little wildcat has some tricks up her sleeve, I'll give you that. But if she's run off…" with his spear, he lifted a cream-colored glove off the ground, "then what, if I may ask, is this?"

"AAAHHH!!!!" A guard, sitting just under the tree, toppled off his horse, a sharp icicle protruding from his shoulder. Distracted, the guards looked up at the tree. Quick as ever, the gang fired arrows into each of the men's hearts, save for the one on the ground. Grasping him by the throat, Robin pointed his sword at the man's throat. "You shall go back and tell Sir Hugo and the Sherriff that Lady Jeanette is headed towards Knighton on a grey horse. D'you understand? Mutely, the guard nodded, and ran off as soon as Robin released him. As soon as he was out of sight, the girl climbed down from the tree.

"Don't ever call me that. Ever."

"My good lady, a simple thank-you would suffice! Do you realize you've just been saved by the greatest man in all of England?" Much yelped, horrified at the girl's apparent lack of hero-worship.

"Leave it, Much," Robin interjected, chuckling. "What shall we call you then?"

"Janet. Just Janet. Not Lady Janet or anything like that."

"Alright, 'Just Janet,' would it be so far beneath you to exchange your wedding garments for something a bit more….suited to these surroundings?" Much, Allan, and John exchanged worried looks, but the girl, for once, had no sarcastic retort or violent response. Her features remained calm, but for the first time, there was a twinkle of humor in her eye. Clearly fighting to keep back a smile, she answered "I shall have to endure it, I suppose."

"Well then, poor Sir Hugo! His marriage bed will be quite cold tonight. Let's away before they come back." Running off, the gang disappeared into the snow.