Catherine had been working in the castle ever since she was seven. In those ten years, she had had both good and bad masters, been tormented by guards and washerwomen and whipped for striking a nobleman when she had been defending herself. She couldn't complain, she wouldn't. There were much worse jobs she could be doing and her pay was decent enough to feed her family in Locksley.
Tonight she was clearing up the dining hall after the Sheriff and a few rowdy guests had gorged what could have feed her family for a month in the space of two hours. May Robin Hood steal from you in your sleep, she thought and she heard the floorboards creak in the hallway behind her. Catherine had always been curious and crept over to the door. She opened it slowly and saw a man standing across the hallway at the window. Will Scarlet, she had know him as a girl. They used to play together when neither of them had chores to do. He looked different now, older, Catherine would go so far as to say handsome. She wondered if he remembered her.
She knew all about him. Outlawed, part of Robin Hood's gang. There was something exciting about that she respected and feared. She could never do that if it meant leaving her brothers and sister to fend for themselves. She wondered how Luke was going without his brother to help support him.
"All clear," Will whispered and reached out the window and pulled Robin Hood, the Robin Hood into the castle. Catherine had only been close enough to see him once but her brother had seen him many times. He was the one that went to the drop off point and even boasted making Robin laugh. Catherine bit back a laugh, Robin Hood was going to rob them in their sleep. Talk about timing.
Together Robin and Will pulled two other gang members into the palace. Robin moved off with the two others living Will by himself. That couldn't be right, Catherine thought, last she heard there were five of them. Just as she thought this, Will pulled one more into the window. They were short and awfully dark for an Englishman, it must be the Saracen. Catherine leaned closer as Will discreetly put his hand around the Saracen's waist.
Catherine watched intently as Will helped her – it had to be a her from the grunts she made – over the windowsill and onto her feet. The Saracen fixed her clothes while Will looked over her. Even in the moonlight, Catherine could she the look in his eyes. She smiled as he fixed the shoulders of her shirt and nodded.
"All right?" he asked.
"All right," she answered.
No one moved. The Saracen – Catherine remembered someone had called her Djaq – smiled up at Will and rested a hand on his waist. Catherine could see Will felt awkward but pleased by this and quickly pulled her into an embrace. Catherine felt silly watching this but could not look away. Will and Djaq looked so comfortable and content together it made her feel warm inside. They seemed completely unaware of where they were or what was happening.
"Will! Djaq! Come on!" Robin whispered harshly from down the hall. The pair quickly broke apart and sped off as if nothing had happened. Catherine poked her head out of the doorframe and watched them leave. She let out a giggle she had been suppressing and continued to clear up the dishes.