The Hollow was beautiful. At least to the two sixteen-year-old girls who lived there, Saxon Wolf and Elizabeth Eleanor Rue. It was within a canopy under a massive fig tree made by it's intertwining roots. It was rather spacious for just the two of them. As they had been there for a few years they had become accustomed as they pick pocketed and stole to search not only for money or items of wealth but also for things like drinking glasses, oil lamps, wash basins, blankets, pillows and many other items. Most of which were quite difficult to steel discreetly and would have made hilarious anecdotes to share with guests, if they had ever had any.

Saxon was weaving a basket, cross-legged on the floor. She was medium height with shoulder length tattered blond dreads that were held back by an orange scarf rapped around her head. She had blue eyes, a button nose and an angsty disposition. Rue was tall with long brown, tinged red hair that was tied in two long plaits and big blue eyes that if you knew her well enough, would reveal everything. She had a sliver axe hanging from a chain around her neck, a lion ring on her finger and was currently curled up in her sleeping canopy with a quite annoyed, anxious look on her face.

"I'm lost!" Rue cried out to no one in particular. "My life is absent of significance, intent…direction. What is my life worth to the world?"

"Not this again."

"I have no meaning, no matter, no message, no point!"

Saxon knew this would go on forever unless Rue was distracted. This was not the first time and Saxon knew it would probably not be the last. She got up and grabbed her knives from a shelf.

"I have no…"

"Lets go to the town markets." Saxon put on a happy face.

"Can't you here me?" Rue sat up, a look of despair printed on her face. "My sole is lost in the realms of nothingness."

"Well maybe you will find it again in someone's pocket today. Grab you're axe." Rue, still looking defeated trudged over to her favorite, massive axe. "Not that one!" Saxon exasperated. Rue defended her axe.

"Why not? This ones my favorite, it will cheer me up."

"Yeah and nothing says discreet pickpocket like a massive axe resting on your back. Take the smaller one." As Saxon turned to grab her cloche Rue made a compromise and took both her large axe and the smaller one.

"Fine Mother." Rue said hiding them under her cloche. "Hay you remember that bet?" Rue said smugly as she clambered up through the trap door. Saxon groaned and followed her into the light of morning.

"Lets go." They climbed up through the trap door Saxon had weaved and into the light of morning.

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Rue sifted through the crowd, eyeing off her potential victims. She attempted to mingle. But even she couldn't deny how difficult it was with an axe strapped to her back. Times were tough in Nottingham, especially with the introduction of the exit taxes; in other words the price to leave the city. Rue knew that if she couldn't find enough to pay her way out they'd be stuck in Nottingham that night. Hold on Thought Rue. I'm an Outlaw. Why on earth would I pay my way out?

On the other side of Nottingham in the cramped backroom of a butcher hid another young woman with scruffy blond hair. She could barely breath and the fact that she was in a bad mood didn't help the situation. Saxon had lost a bed and was thus given the responsibility of finding a sufficient meal for her and her fellow outlaw. She was wedged between two large barrels; a useless hiding place as her feet were sticking out obviously and if she was found the butcher would have a knife at her throat before she'd have time to unwedge herself. Blast! Saxon groaned in her head. Last time I'll ever question Rue's ability with an axe.

Rue was having her own troubles. Everyone's pockets were deep, but empty. In short, they were all skint. She always aimed for the rich but if it wasn't available…even she had to feed herself. And if worse came to worse and she did steal from the poor she calmed her concionce with the thought that Robin would compensate them. It was the only thing that helped her sleep at night. That was a lie. She snorted in her head. The thing that helps me sleep at night is my axe and my pillow. She was snapped out of her daze when she felt a small pouch at the bottom of a pocket. Gotcha! She bit her lip and gently pulled it out of the pocket. All was going well until her man sneezed.

The butcher was busy out in the front of the store she couldn't hear his deep voice as he hacked a limb of a sheep. Saxon slowly ambled out from between the barrels and wiped herself off. She whipped out one of her daggers and hastily sliced a large shoulder blade at a cow carcass hanging from the ceiling.

"I'll show your maggoty little piss week stew." She muttered to herself, referring to last nights dinner efforts by Rue, all was going swimmingly until a large shout broke Saxon's train of concentration. Saxon swung around and was face to face,(or rather face to belly) With a giant of a man.

"Um," She swallowed awkwardly. "Carcass tax?"

Rue was sprinting madly across the market place followed swiftly by a large band of villagers yelling many serious accusations.

"Typical!" Rue muttered as she ran. "Dammed villagers jumping to convulsions." Although if I saw a girl with a massive axe and her hand in someone else's pocket I wouldn't exactly get the feeling that all was peachy. She bolted down an alley way and took a sharp left. She had no idea where she was going, how she was going to get out of Nottingham and where in the gods name Saxon was.

Saxon on the other hand knew exactly where she was. She was on her way out the window, the only option of escape other than clawing her way through the butcher's belly. Not that she didn't think her daggers could handle it, it was just judging on the size of the man's belly and her daggers and she had promised Rue to keep her daggers as a form of defense not a form of attack. Unfortunately halfway out the window she felt the butcher's saucepan hands grabbing at her short legs. She struggled wildly and for a moment she was almost heaved back inside the store room. Bu after an exact and forceful kick spot on the butchers nose with the bottom of her large boots, she managed to lug herself out into the ally, jump to her feet and break into a run.

The villagers were massing behind Rue, hot on her tail. Rue was annoyed; a large crowd could attract guards, correction, was attracting guards. Rue swore under her breath; this was a stickly situation. She was almost considering getting her axe out, just to scare the mod for a second, stun them inot retreating for a second. She loved using her axe but clobbering guards in the middle of the Nottingham market place was probably not the safest place. She didn't want it to come to that so as she took another left into a tiny narrow ally, she ran straight into another teenage girl carrying a large hock of red meat, they both would have fallen over had it not been for the narrowness of the ally which made that impossible. Instead they were both pushed into the walls of either side of the ally. Rue opened her eyes wide to focus and saw Saxon wiping some dirt off the large shoulder blade hastily.

"Made some new friends I see?" Saxon raised an eyebrow towards the mob squeezing single file down the ally.

"That ya boyfriend?" Rue shot back, jerking her head towards the massive meatball of a man tumbling towards them. "BLAST!" Saxon swore. "Get a move on meatpie!" Rue pushed Saxon down the ally further. She hugged the meat tightly to her chest, holding on for dear life. Rue looked behind and saw the butcher and the mod gaining on them.

"Drop the meat and move it!" Rue was stepping on Saxons heels.

"I am not letting go of the meat!" Saxon hissed back, picking up her pace. They swept up the ally until they found themselves out on the main road. The city gates were close ahead. In the open the roar of the crowed was deafening.

"We can't just walk out of the city Sax!" Rue yelled. Saxon ignored her. She stared at the guards.

"SHUT THE GATES!" The guards obviously assumed the order was coming from some form of authority. "SHUT THEM…NOW!" They hastily began closing them. Rue and Saxon raved on, squeezed between the massive doors a second before they closed completely.

"Fools." Saxon panted as she and Rue paused for a second outside the gates. As soon as Saxon said this, the gates slowly began to open again. Both girls swore, one tossing the meat over her shoulder and the both of them racing off into the forest.

They hid till the guards had given up and returned back to their posts Rue and Saxon headed for home the end of their adventure for the day until along the forest road they saw a saw caged cart carrying around seven children. Both of them dove behind a tree and watched on.

The cart had stopped and the driver had lumbered off his position in the cart to talk to a prospective buyer. The buyer was a short bald man who the two girls could smell from their hiding position.

"Where are they from? Why are they being sold?" He asked suspiciously.

"Why do ya want to know?"

"Because I want to know that I won't be getting some runt that will drop dead in a week from desies!" He practically shouted. Annoyed at the merchant for wasting his precious time with questions.

"They come from a small town, up north, it was hit by a disease, but one that didn't effect children, seems their ammun to it. Their parents are six feet under now but the kids are fine. So you want one or not? Cause I was meant to be a the Notingham markets an hour ago with this lot."

"How old's that one?" He pointed to one of the taller girls. "I need someone to take on the womanly duties in my house."

"All of them?" The mercent asked. The other man nodded slyly and they shared a disgusting chuckle together.

"She's 'bout eleven, she'll do fine for ya needs."

"We have to!" Rue exasperated from their hiding spot.

"No we don't."

"This is the purpose I was talking about. Puttin' some meaning into our lives."

"No it's not. I hate kids, lets just walk away."

"Your disgusting."

"No, you know what's discussing? A child that pisses in his sleep."

"Fine I will do it one my own." Rue said definitely. She went to stand up but Saxon pulled her back down.

"Ah no you wont. Both of 'em have weapons under their clothes, see the way they're standing?"

"And your're saying that I can't take them?" Saxon gave an undefined shrug. "Well stuff that." Rue jumped out from behind the tree and walked up to the men twirling her big axe in one hand and her smaller axe in the other.

"Good day, sir's!" Rue strolled down the embankment casually to the road where the men were eyeing her and her axes warily. "I was just wondering, do you have hourly rates for child minding, or is this just a neighborly gesture of generosity?" She asked sarcastically.

The men did not detect this in her voice, and despite the axes, turned to consider the cart. Rue rolled her eyes at their stupidity and swiftly went to clobber both men on the head with the backs of her axes, when something went terribly wrong. The men must have been expecting it; they suddenly spun around and grabbed one wrist each. Rue flipped over forwards, trying to wriggle out of their iron-like grip. It was a mistake. She simply ended up on her knees with her arms held tightly behind her back. Rue heard a familiar noise of a blade being drawn, and a few seconds later had a sword at her throat. There was a pause in which Rue was glaring piercingly at the Cart-keeper as he came into view unraveling a long piece of rope. He bent down behind her.

"Drop!" He grinned unpleasantly in her ear. Very, very reluctantly, the axes fell from her fingers into the grubby hands of the Cart-keeper.

"Keep them clean" She spat dangerously. "I don't want them to be filthy until I'm bashing you over your slimy head with them".

Both men laughed and she was dragged over to the back of the cage. The doors were unlocked and Rue was shoved inside unceremoniously.

"In you go, see how the little tykes like you, then." The keeper laughed. "Mind you, last time a stranger went in there, they came back with three missin' toes." He whispered.

"I hear children respond well to being fed!" Rue spat coldly.

The man snorted. "Don't be silly, sweetheart, can't go wasten' proper food on something that ain't gonna survive to the end of the we-" He broke off, remembering the potential customer standing beside him.

Rue stared at him in disgust, and turned to look at the children, bunched up at the other end of the cage. They were staring at her in fear, and, some of the older ones, in suspicion. Rue looked back and saw the cart-keeper struggling into the cage.

"That one, at the back!" The other man was holding the doors closed as the keeper got to the girl. All the other children were gathered around, like a defence. Rue could see it was no match for the massive keeper. Surprisingly, Rue was wrong. The children held up considerably well, especially as the girl kept ducking and popping up in different places. The children jostled and yelled to create confusion. Rue tried to join in by kicking the back of his legs as best she could. Eventually, the cart-keeper got frustrated and forced his way through the children violently, some off them being thrown to the floor of the cage.

"Gotcha!" He growled triumphantly, grabbing the tall girl from the center of the group and flinging her to the back of the cart. The other man opened the doors and the girl was thrown out, followed carefully by the Keeper who ambled out slowly. He locked the doors and turned to the man. "She doesn't say much, but with a bit of beatin' she might come out of her shell" He laughed, taking the bag of coins from the man. Rue saw the face of the girl. She looked blank. The two men shook hands, said goodbye, then the keeper crawled onto the front of the cart and they slowly moved up the road. "Not long to go now" The keeper called out. "The Sheriff has plans for you kids, and maybe even a special use for our latest addition!"

Rue looked out the back of the cage to see any sign of Saxon. "Not gonna find daylight down a mine" She muttered grimly, thinking of her axes on the seat beside the keeper, and feeling as though an extension of herself had just been severed.

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Saxon had her forehead pressed against the trunk of tree, trying to control the urge to both laugh and groan at Rue's futile efforts. She had witnessed the entire debacle, clinging protectively to her meat to refrain from making any noise. Now that both men were parting ways, she sighed in irritation.

"Typical" She muttered wryly. She gently placed her dinner at the base of a tree and brushing her hair from her eyes. Picking up a long branch of thick wood, Saxon marched down the hill after the man and his new servant.

As she walked she muttered angrily. It was the next best thing to an all-out rant. Coming up behind the man, she would have looked an insane, wide eyed, livid teenage girl covered in blood and dirt. Her hair was messy and she didn't even hesitate when the man turned around suddenly. She barked savagely like a wolf in his face. This confused him, and he looked a little terrified. Taking advantage of his fleeting hesitation, she bluntly beat him over the head thickly with her branch.

"You, sir" She said as he fell to the ground. "Are the village idiot" She considered what she had said. "Wow that was lame." She kicked him, but he made no response. She poked him with the branch. Nothing.

"Well don't just stand there" Saxon looked at the girl. "Help me with dinner"

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Rue looked up at the ceiling of the cage. The canopy of trees moved overhead and she sighed. There was about as much chance of Saxon turning up now as there was the Sheriff letting her and the kids go. She could hear the kids whispering at the other end of the cage. Despite how cramped it was, they were doing a good job at avoiding her. She had introduced herself, but being tied and restricted put her in a bad mood. So, deciding it best to not risk the possibility of a Saxon-scale rant, she had sucked it in and stayed quiet.
Now, the afternoon was turning to evening, and the Cart-keeper was swearing viciously.
Suddenly, he stopped. Rue sat up as she heard a familiar voice.

"Look mate, I think you have something of mine. Brown hair, axes for hands, thinks she's invincible?"

"Right here, Sax!" Rue called in response.

"Why am I always bailing you out of these things, Rue!?" Saxon yelled out incredulously. "This is like, the fourth time you think you can just jump out, flailing your god-damn axes in every-ones faces, don't even consider I have a massive piece of meat I need to get back to the-" There was a muffled sound and Saxon stopped shortly.

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"My meat will be ruined" Saxon said dully, from her seat next to Rue, inside the cart as it shook along the bumpy road.

"I think we have more pressing issues to deal with, Sax" Rue shook her wrists. They had red burns from where the rope had been.

Saxon glowered at Rue and pulled a dagger from her boot. They both turned when they heard the children whimper. Saxon rolled her eyes and stuck her arms out the back of the cart. She began fiddling with the lock.

"If that works, I'll eat my hat" Rue said wryly from the floor of the cart.

"If this works, I will steal you a hat just to watch you eat it" Saxon replied.

"If you steal me a hat and I eat it, then at least I won't have to eat that disgusting scrap of meat you manage to scab today" Rue smirked.

"Means more meat for me" Saxon muttered curtly. She kept at it for a few more minutes.

"Saxon" Rue said to her back.

"Yes?" She didn't turn around.

"You don't find daylight down a mine"

Saxon turned around, enraged. "You can't use my own saying against me!" She threw her dagger beside Rue's head. Rue just smiled serenely.

"Where is Robin when you need him!" Saxon pressed against the bars and looked out forlornly. "I bet they're all sitting around a big campfire, eating a massive deer, freshly-"

"Shut up, Sax!" Rue told her matter-of-factly. She was looking out the left side of the cart. Arrows were whistling out of the trees, directly towards the Cart-keeper. He had jumped off the front of the cart and was yelling at the unknown shooter. Sax, Rue and the children all stared out, grinning at the image before them. The cart-keeper was dancing around as arrows threatened his feet.
It wasn't long before the approaching arrows were too much for the cart-keeper, so he backed off to the other side of the road. Another arrow was shot directly into the thick lock holding the prisoners inside the cart. The doors swung open. Rue and Saxon leapt out.

"Quick, to the meat!" Saxon went to run off, but Rue grabbed her shoulder. Saxon paused and they both turned back towards the kids.

"Okay, there's two options here for you guys" Rue said quickly. "You either stay here, in the cart, wait to be sold and probably live a hard, cold life void of love and-"

"Meat" Saxon threw in.

"Exactly" Rue agreed. "Or, you come with us. Can't offer you an easy life, but a hell of a lot more comfy than the cart. We live in a hideout, we provide for ourselves and we wash in a river but there's food, blankets and sometimes an adventure or two. If you want in, say so now!"

The children stood still at the back of the cart, staring.

"Well, if you really think a cage is more comfortable than a bed, I'm sure we can arrange something back at our hideout"

Saxon was getting anxious. "Rue, my meat!" She hissed.

"We know Robin Hood!" Rue had one last go.

The children stood still. Saxon groaned and stormed off. Rue looked at her, then back at the kids. Slowly, the eldest boy took a step forward. "Lakia, she was sold, we need to go back-"

"I've already got her!" Saxon yelled back. Rue looked at the kids questioningly. The boy looked at the other kids.

"Lets go." He told them. They followed him as he jumped out and ran after Saxon. Rue brought up the rear. Typical, Rue thought of Robin still firing his arrows from within the trees. Too noble to even show his face.

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An expensive looking cart laden with fine material on the outside and most probably wealth of plenty within had stopped in the depths of Sherwood Forrest so the master could relieve himself on the side of the road.

"Finished?" Came a voice from behind him. He pulled up his pants and turned to see his coachman knocked out, a girl holding a knife at his wife's throat and another teenage girl with an axe raised above her head standing on top of their cart. She grinned.

"This, my friend is an ambush." Rue said quite sweetly. Saxon shouted a yell of agreement while keeping a firm grip on the woman. Suddenly another voice came into the mix.

"I think I've heard that line before." Robin stepped out from behind a tree, as did his gang. Rue sighed and dropped the axe to lean on her leg.

"We've got this one Robin so scurry off and find your own." She went to raise her axe once more but she was interrupted.

"You two have got to stop taking our finds. You heard us talking about this cart didn't you? Besides we will be taking from the rich and giving to the poor. You on the other hand will be…" Rue interrupted Robin by jumping freefall off the cart roof, landing like a cat and walking over to the hostage.

"Will be taking from the-," The man attempted to grab her from behind but with a flick of her wrist she knocked him out with the back of her axe. "Rich and giving to our selves, the poor. Just think of it as cutting out the middle man."

As Rue and Robin continued their verbal combat, Saxon was leaning against the cart after tying the woman to a near by tree. She flipped and twirled her knives waiting for Rue to get on with it, when she heard someone moving behind her.

"Hay Allan." She sighed, not turning around.

"Hay yourself Sax. You girls have been taking our ambushes so much lately I'm beginning to think you just wanted to see me." He smacked on a grin.

"You think very highly of your self for an outlaw that takes orders." He put on a look of mock hurt. She couldn't help but smile.

"Ouch. Am I that far down in your good books? How can I make it up?" He said leaning beside her against the cart.

"You could fetch me the moon."

"Or?"

"You could get Robin to let us have this one."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because in about one minuet Rue is going to challenge Robin to a fight and I can't bare to listen to her complain for the next few weeks because she lost." A smile spread across his face, as he knew what she was saying was true.

"Deal. So me and ya books?"

"You're getting better." Just before he ran to Robin he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

"My lady." She flicked him in the face with the same hand.

"Get on with it." He ran over to Robin, pulled him aside and talked in hushed tones. Only words like but and come one were able to be heard from Robin who eventually turned back to Rue.

"Take it." He mumbled.

"I'm sorry I didn't quite hear that, could you say it just a little loader."

"The next ones ours, you hear?"

Rue scoffed and started to walk away. She called out. "Sax call 'em please."

Saxon gave a mighty whistle, something Rue had never been able to do to her dismay. A seven year old girl named Dot came skipping out from behind a tree. She was little with skinny arms, curly strawberry blond hair and freakles on her cheeks. A boy of twelve also trudged down behind her, with red, brown hair, dark, hard eyes and a strong build for a child of his age. His name was Sebastian. The two came out from behind some shrub. Rue directed Sebastian up the steps of the cart.

"Take the shinny stuff k?"

"I'm not an idiot Rue." He said with a roll of the eyes.

"Well prove it."

"Your making children do your dirty work?" Robin asked disbelievingly.

"Oh that's just wrong!" Much exasperated.

"Their orphans. We saved them, teachen em' some skills." Rue defended.

"You think what your doing is charity?" Robin asked. Saxon took the arm of Dot and walked her towards the gang.

"Charity, that's exactly what we are, see have one." She gave Dot a little nudge in the direction of Robin.

"Sax!" Rue scolded. "Don't worry Dot your not going with them." She shouted to Dot who was masking her frightened face with a fierce glare at Saxon.

"Seriously just take her, we've got plenty more at home."

"SAX!"

"Fine." Saxon moaned as she led Dot back to the cart. Robin's gang left the scene and the girls got on with their business. Rue instructed the kids to grab what they deemed valuable while Rue and Saxon checked to make sure their unconscious victims weren't choking on their own tongues. They liked violence and action but not death, one of the similarities between them and Robin.

"Who was that new one? Looked like a Sarison." Rue asked curiously.

"Who cares, lets just grab the loot and get out of here. We have already lingered too long."

"A.Dale seemed to be very friendly today." Rue smirked.

"Far too long." She said quickly trying to change the subject. They sent Dot and Sebastian back to The Hollow with all the goods. While Rue and Saxon stayed back to figure out the very difficult question of whether they should leave the material or not.

The next thing they saw was Allan and Much sprinting up the road towards them with ten of the sheriff's guards on big horses on their tail. Allen shouted to the bewildered looking girls.

"The Sheriff's guards are coming."

The girls dropped the loads of material in their hands in favor of running for their lives.

"Oh thanks for the heads up!" Shouted Rue as she sprinted through the forest.

"Yeah it was also real nice of you to lead them to us!" Saxon shouted back to Allan who ran past her and up a rocky slop.

"We do what we can." Just before the horses would have trampled them, Will and Little John leapt out from the shrubbery and knocked the three lead guards off their horses. The other seven stopped abruptly as Robin, Much, the Sarrison and Allen stood on top of a massive bolder, arrows drawn.

"Now, You all sure you want to do this?" Robin asked rather politely for the situation. An arrow from one of the guards narrowly missed his head.

"Fine. Have it your way." They had to admit that the guards had the rather unfair disadvantage of eight skilled fighters to seven guards but they were willing to ignore the fact. Within a minuet the fight was over for Robin's gang. Three of the guards had ran off, two had been knocked out by one swift blow of Little Johns staff. Much had been in combat with one for about thirty seconds before giving up and kicking him in the back of the knees, followed by a sharp blow to the head. The other guard got pinned to a tree by four arrows of Robin's and then elbowed in the face by Will. It was really a team effort apart from the Sarrison who had looked rather happy to watch…for now and Allen who was rather annoyed at Little John for being greedy and taking out two of the guards all on his own. The gang started to walk back to camp. (After taking the belongings the guards had on them.)

"Djaq Come on."

"But those to girls." Her voice rang out in the silence that had fallen over the clearing. Robin jogged back up to meet her.

"Don't worry about them." He tried to lead her away but she stood firm.

"Can't you see them over there? They are surrounded by three guards, we have to help them." Robin found Djaq's reaction rather amusing

"Those girls know exactly what their doing but if you want to watch, sure we can watch."

Rue and Saxon were surrounded by three rather menacing looking guards each advancing in. Rue gave a shout and with a twirl of her axe she swiftly hit two of the guards in the head and one in the groin. Saxon proceeded with her knives, throwing them swiftly at each of the guards, so they were pinned against a tree each, until they were fully out of it. The girl's clapped each others hands and Saxon started to collect her knives.

"See, They're young but they have been doing the forest, outlaw thing for much longer than I have." He looked at the bewildered look on her face and chuckled. "You'll get used to 'em. Lets go." With that they walked off into the forest.

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That night Robin's gang was around the campfire telling stories and mostly concentrating on the meat in front of them when they heard a voice from somewhere in the darkness.

"I come in peace!" The voice shouted timidly. "Serious peace, no tricks…please don't hurt me!" A teenaged boy stepped out of the trees so the light played shadows on his face. He was average height with sandy blond hair that straggled over his face and caused him to jerk his head up every once and a while as to remove the hair from his eyes. He had a scar from ear to shoulder on his left side and his eyes were a hardened steal gray, blue.

"Who are you?" Much said rather accusingly. Robin had a couple of fingers on his bow just in case, spies were always a danger.

"Jonah. I come from…well it doesn't really matter but I want to join your gang."

At this Robin looked over to Djaq.

"That seems to be happening a lot lately." She grinned and then took her gaze to the boy, looking him up and down.

"Bit of a scrawny thing?" She said. Each of the men thought of several things they could say about Djaq and her gender but they all bit their tongues. Each one of them turned their heads to the side and assessing his potential.

"Actually… I'm not being funny but doesn't he look familiar?" The others gave their own forms of agreement.

"Nah I don't." The boy said quickly.

"Yeah I recon he looks a bit like…" But Will was cut off.

"I'm a good fighter, I've had to be. Seriously I will be good for you Robin and your gang. At least give us a chance."

"How old are you?"

"I'll be seventeen in three months."

"What do ya say boys?" Robin pulled out a tag. "This is earned. But if I think it's right, that you are right for this gang then it will be yours."

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The kids, Rue and Saxon were sitting around their little fireplace. They were quite proud of it. It was the only thing professionally built specially for their hideout. They had had to knock the builder out, carry him in a stretcher to their hideout, waited for him to regain consciousness and then set him to work making their fireplace. When finished it was complete with a chimney that poked through the space between two roots. (above the ground the chimney was camouflage with paint Saxon had stolen a week previous.) They paid the on going rate, knocked him out again and took him to the edge of the forest. They couldn't risk anyone knowing the where abouts of their hideout, especially now as it had a fireplace.

Sebastian was the eldest, at thirteen and the toughest of the lot. He was tall for his age; sarcastic and protective of the kids who he felt were in his charge. Fly was eight and wispy. She had long, fuzzy blond hair. She didn't really know which way was up and didn't care to trouble herself with the knowledge. Lakia was eleven, with long dark hair and deep eyes. From some past incident she had been rendered mute. But the pain in her past could always been seen in her eyes. Barnibus was ten and as obnoxious as ten-year-olds could get. He was the arguer and winger but no matter how much they hated him his jokes never ceased to make them laugh. Jules was a quiet, sweet nine-year-old girl who wanted for nothing more than to nurse her doll to sleep. Lucy was Barnibus's comrade in action, always at his side, thick as thieves. And then there was Dot. Dot was seven, as cute as anything but when provoked jumped straight into action. She was a fighter at heart.

Jules was telling the circle about her parents as they ate their dinner.

"I remember once when Father brought home a duckling who had a hurt foot and it was just him and me helping the little thing to get better. I wasn't aloud to tell Mother or she'd have told us to get it out of the house. It was our little secret. Mine and Father's." She looked down at her doll for a moment and then turned to Saxon who the little girl loved no matter what derogatory thing Saxon said. "Do you have a family Saxon?"

Saxon raised her eyes from her dinner but continued to chew open mouthed until she figured out what to say, it was a subject that had not been drawn upon in a very long time.

"My father was… Well my mother she…I loved my twin brother until… You know what lets talk about Rue's family."

"Well my mother was a prostitute. Now who knows what that means?" Rue proceeded to explain to the kids where babies came from and then proceeded to tell them that none of it would be happening under their tree unless it was Saxon and Allan A Dale. After saying this Rue got Saxon's remaining dinner in her face and Saxon set the eleven kids on her, fair enough punishment she decided.

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It was late in the night when Saxon finally got some time to herself. The children, it appeared, couldn't understand the basics of "When it's dark, you sleep". No matter how many times she repeated it to them, they all argued that their parents had let them stay up all night, every night.

"That's impossible!" Saxon snapped back at them. "If you never slept -" Rue put a hand on her shoulder and gave her the calm down, you're overreacting look. A little girl grabbed Rue's axe belt and looked up at her with big round eyes. Rue bent down to her level.

"What is it, Dot?" Rue asked kindly.

"I need to go-" The little girl began, but was cut off by Saxon who groaned loudly and stomped off to the other side of the hideout.

After what seemed like hours, every child had been allocated an area to sleep. This included three squashed into Rue's bed, one curled up on the padded long seat and the rest scattered across the floor snuggled up in large rugs, rolls of material and flamboyant dresses Rue and Saxon had collected over the years. The fire was reduced to dim embers now, and nothing but the heavy breathing of the sleeping children could be heard. Rue silently and nimbly leapt over them to get to the trapdoor out of the hideout.

It was chilly out, the moon high in the sky. A slight breeze blew. Rue pulled her cloche around her tightly and scanned the dark forest. She could make out a tiny spark in the distance and made for it.

Saxon was sitting hunched over on a rock, a thin pipe between her fingers. Her hair had fallen over her face and when Rue arrived she didn't move; either because she hadn't noticed her or didn't want to. Rue sat down beside her and sighed loudly.

"My, what a role-model you're going to make." She said sarcastically. Saxon didn't move. Rue couldn't see her face. After what seemed like a long time, Saxon spoke.

"You can talk." She muttered. "Little miss Birds and the Bees". She slowly and somewhat difficultly raised her head to look at Rue.

Rue raised an eyebrow. Saxon rolled her eyes. "Besides" She said, "It's a Thursday"

Rue laughed smugly and looked at the moon. "Thursday finished a couple of hours ago." She told Saxon triumphantly.

Saxon shoulders sagged and she flicked the tobacco out of her pipe on to the ground and pocketed the pipe. She turned to face Rue. "You cannot honestly believe what we are doing is charity." She said openly and honestly.

Rue laughed and shrugged. "Call it what you want you want." She said simply.

"How about insanity?!" Saxon cried, standing up. "Have you considered how this might affect us in the long run? Did you think about how you're gonna raise them and teach them? Do you even know how to...clean up and stuff?!" She was waving her hands around frantically.

"Well I've lived with you for a long time, I've picked up a few pointers on the cleaning up part." Rue smirked.

"Food, Rue!" Saxon exclaimed loudly. "Where are we going to find enough food for us all to survive off?!"

"Well it's unfortunate we don't live in a forest, otherwise there would be an endless supply of plants and animals we could live off!"

"Clothing, and shoes, and necessities like that!"

"I dunno Sax, we might have to become outlaws"

Saxon groaned loudly and glared at Rue. "You're not listening!" She hissed. "Those kids in there are not going to stay kids forever!"

"Wow, did a little birdie tell you that?"

"They'll grow up!"

"This is one smart birdie!"

"And they'll leave!"

"Someone has to teach this birdie to keep its mouth shut". Rue giggled when she saw Saxons face.

Saxon was fuming. "They will leave Rue." She whispered fiercely. "And they won't come back, they won't be grateful, and they won't want anything to do with us! Mark my words!" She folded her arms and turned away.

"Consider them marked." Rue stood and walked over beside her. "But you're wrong none-the-less. These kids are not going to be like, well, you. Not that you should've hung around you're home!" She added hastily when Saxon head spun around to face her. "What I'm saying is that with us as the adults, they've got no reason to want to leave Sherwood. We'll show them an honest living...as honest as an outlaw can get. And they like us, Sax, they really like us. Did you see their faces when they jumped down the trapdoor?" Rue nudged Saxons arm and grinned.

Saxon sighed and looked up at the moon. There was a long silence. A tiny pitter-patter of rain began to echo in the forest.

"The thing is," Rue added quietly, "I want them to stay. This is the sort of purpose I've been looking for. And I'm not trying to convince you. They're staying" She looked directly at Saxon.

Saxon bit her lip and didn't look at Rue. "Yeah, well," She said softly "Lucky for you, they can stay." She looked sideways at Rue.

Rue smiled complacently and moved closer to Saxon. "Knew you'd come 'round, Sax"

They both looked out into the dark forest. "You owe me one. You've ruined my Thursday." Saxon muttered snootily

"I'll make it up to you one day, Sax."

A short while later, Saxon and Rue lay side-by-side in bed. The fire had died and the cavern was pitch-dark. Every now and then, one of the children would roll over, grumble for a moment, then settle down again. They had been laying there for fifteen minutes, but Saxon knew Rue was still awake.

"Rue?"

"Yeah?"

"We're in the same bed."

"Really? Are you sure? How can you tell? I mean, it's so dark!"

"Do you want to know why we're in the same bed?"

"Yeah, yeah, suffer Sax"