Disclaimer: I don't own Robin Hood (obviously). It belongs to BBC, the lucky peoples.

--Sherwood Forest--

"This, my friend, is an ambush."

A group of five people had surrounded two horsemen and were standing weapons drawn facing them.

"Are you Robin Hood's men?" One of the horsemen asked, not looking worried at all.

The group shared a look before the same one who had spoken before answered.

"Perhaps. Who are you?"

"We are messengers of the King. We were told that Robin's men would have means to identify themselves."

"Means to- what?" Allan glanced at the group.

"He means the tags, dunderhead." Much told him as Will walked forward. He lifted his from under his shirt and showed the messengers. They nodded and handed the letter to him.

"From the King of England, to Robin of Locksley." And with that they spun and spurred their horses back the way they had come, past Little John and Djac, as if delivering messages from the king to outlaws was a daily occurrence.

"Well, that was weird." Much stated, summing up the group's feelings as they walked back to camp, where Robin was.

--Outlaw's Camp--

"Robin! Look at this!" Will said as they entered their hidden camp.

"What is it?" He asked without looking away from the flames of the fire as they cast shadows on the walls.

"A letter. From the King." Much supplied as Will handed the letter to Robin.

"King?" He asked taking it and staring at it. "Why?"

"Well open it." Allan prompted.

Instead Robin turned it over and saw the handwriting on the front that read:

To: Robin Hood of Locksley

From: Richard, King Of England

Urgent Matter

Slowly the leader of the Outlaws turned it over, broke the wax seal and began to read it aloud so his men could hear.

"Dear Robin,

Once again I am truly sorry for your loss and hope that you are dealing with it as well as could be expected.

I am afraid that I must once again ask a favor of utmost importance from you, my friend.

My brother has recently written me and told me that I have been betrayed. He claims that my Personal Messenger has fed information to those plotting against me. Even before your coming here I would have suspected this to be a lie but, because of your warning, I do not believe his word. Fore, I know my Messenger to be as loyal as you yourself (and your men) are. Prince John wrote that he was sending her to Nottingham, where she is to be hung.

I ask that you save her, if at all possible. She should trust you since you and Much have met her before. She is the one that nursed you back to health and returned to England with you.

Her name is Rachel and I implore you to try and save her.

Thank you my friend.

Sincerely yours,

Richard, King of England"

"We must help her, Master." Much said, breaking the silence that had fallen once Robin had finished reading.

"Of course we will, I owe her my life." Robin said, regaining some of the sparkle that had been missing ever since they had returned from the Holy Lands. "I have a Plan. Someone needs to get arrested. Much?"

"Me? Why not Will? Or Allan?" He protested.

"Because Will gets arrested too often. Eventually the guards are going to remember what he looks like. And Allan is going to be helping me. Besides If Rachel is there, she should recognize you and that would make getting her out a lot easier." Robin said and when Much didn't protest again he filled the rest of them in on his plan.

--Nottingham Castle Lower Dungeon—

I was currently sitting in my cell, under the dungeons, counting bricks.

Why?

Because, I was truly, and completely, bored. I had been in this 10-steps-by-12-steps (yes I counted that to) for probably 2 or 3 weeks. I couldn't say exactly because there wasn't any sunlight that reached this far down and the meals they brought me weren't regular. Basically whenever they remembered me, really.

I had tried to keep track once, of how long it was, but I lost count somewhere around 6 hours 46 minutes and 56 seconds.

That's what I do when there's nothing else. I count things. Like the bricks in the walls.

There were 666 bricks that I could see. Now if I was superstitious I would be worried, what with that being the devils number and such. Good thing I wasn't superstitious.

I heard the door open and I glanced to see who it was. My top guess was Guy. He liked to come and tell me how he had caught some thief or another. My second guess would be the Sheriff who would do the same thing, plus the additional "If you work for me you could get out of here and eat something decent for a change." I always answered him the same way, "Thanks but I'd rather not." At least them coming gave me something to concentrate on besides counting.

I stood up and walked over to the front of my cell. I mainly stood up because I didn't want to give them the satisfaction of standing over me. With Guy it wouldn't really matter because he was taller than me anyway but I was taller than the sheriff and it reminded him of how he couldn't control me and he knew it.

Turns out that my first guess was right. It was Gisborne.

But this time he wasn't by himself. He was dragging a short blond man along behind him.

"Who do you have there, Gizzy?" I asked, calling him by the nickname I had heard the Sheriff call him once. I use it every time I get the chance because it's so obvious that he hates it.

"This is one of Hood's inner circle. His servant." He said a bit proudly as he threw the man into the cell next to mine.

"Congratulations. Staying to chat?" I wondered aloud as I wandered to the back and shrank into the shadows, which almost completely hid me, where I sat.

He didn't answer me but instead locked the cell before turning and walking out.

"Great. That you, Much?" I looked over at the man.

"Yes… you talk to him like you're friends."

I laughed, "Nah. But bothering him is fun and it relieves some of the boredom."

"Oh. Well then…" he pressed his face up to the bars in between our two cells. "This is a rescue!" He said seriously.

I laughed and saw his expression change to one of hurt.

"Sorry Much," I apologized, "But you looked so serious, I just had to laugh. Besides we're both stuck in here. Just us and the rats."

"Rats!?" He looked at the floor worriedly.

"Don't worry. They are mainly over there." I pointed to the pair of cells across from us.

I had questions that I wanted to ask but I had to figure out which ones were important and which ones could wait until later. I leaned back against the cold wall and before I got to ask any, sleep overtook me.

--Upper Dungeons--

The outlaws had gotten into the dungeons without any problems or alerting the guards to their presence and where-abouts. However, it was once they were in the dungeons that they ran into a problem.

"I'm not being funny but they aren't here." Allan said after they had searched all the cells.

"They have to be here! Where else could they be? We must have missed them. Keep looking!"

"Robin, all three of them wouldn't have missed them." Said Will, the voice of reason. "Plus, Much wouldn't be able to stay quiet this long."

"Just keep searching!" Robin ordered again. Allan and Will shared a look. Something was wrong with their leader but it would have to wait until they got back to camp, where they could ask him about it.

About half-way through searching Allan spotted a closet door that he had dismissed the first time around. He opened the door and saw a partially hidden door along the back wall. He remembered something that Gisborne had told him while he was working for him.

"Robin! They're not here!" He yelled.

"Yes, they are. We just missed them somehow…" Even he didn't sound so sure anymore.

"We didn't miss them because they're not here. They're in the lower level."

"Lower level?" Will asked from the doorway, having by now come to see what Allan was doing. Robin had followed him.

"Yeah. I remember Gisborne complaining about how the Sheriff was building another level to the dungeons and how it was only going to be four cells, he didn't see the point. They must be down there." Allan pushed aside the things blocking the door and grabbed a torch before heading down the stairs. Robin followed him down and Will took up the back.

"Much? Are you down here?" Robin called.

"Master? Help! Robin!!" Much yelped. The three ran down the stairs and toward his voice. They saw that Much's legs were covered in rats that scattered as they got closer, scared off by the light.

"Are you alright?" Will asked, already working on getting the lock undone. "Where is Rachel?"

"I've never been more disgusted in my life." He stated and pointed to where I was. "She's over there."

I had woken up at the squeaking sound the door made when it was being opened.

"Rachel? Are you alright?" Robin asked, straining to see me in the dark.

"Just dandy." I replied and stood up, ignoring the dizzy spell that came as I did so. As it lessened, I walked over to them. "It's been a long time, Robin. How have you been?"

Before he could answer the third spoke.

"Rachel? Rach Crawford!?"

I looked closer at him.

"Allan A Dale?" I slipped through the bars. (They weren't close together and I had a slight frame, even before getting locked in here. The meals they gave me weren't the stick-to-your-bones type.) "You Lying, Traitorous Thief!!"

I ran over and punched him right in the face. It didn't nock him over like I had hoped it would but it did make him step back.

"OWW! That Bloody hurt!" He yelled.

"Good! You Bloody deserved it!" I screamed back at him and then added quietly,

"Willy, you might want to hurry up. I don't think the guards can ignore that."

"Already done, Rach." He stepped back and the door swung open silently. Much ran out and up the stairs.

"You know them?" Robin asked shocked. I nodded and walked past him, and followed Allan up the stairs.

"Robin, the guards." Will called from just behind me. We were half way up the stairs and he was still down in front of the cell Much had been in, trying to figure out how I might know them.

"Right." He said, shaking out of his thoughts and ran up to meet us. He ran past me and whispered " You will tell me later."

Great, that will be a fun story. I grabbed my sword, which was hanging conveniently at the top of the stairs. Turns out I didn't need it right then (Allan and Much had taken care of the guards) but it was good to have it back again.

"Where are Djac and John?" Much asked as we ran out of the castle

"East gate. With the horses." Robin replied and led the way. When we reached the Gate there were two people holding four horses.

"We're riding double?" I asked Robin, who had slowed and was beside me.

He nodded and said, " You're with Allan."

"Do I have to be?" I complained and slowed down a little.

"Yes! Now keep running!" He grabbed my arm and pulled me along behind him.

Will and Allan had already reached the horses. Djac had gotten on one and Will climbed up behind her. John had gotten on the second one and Allan was holding the other two.

Robin sprinted ahead of me and Much (who was behind me) and got on the third.

"Get on!" I yelled at Allan.

"But-" He started.

"Just get on! They can't shoot me!"

He climbed on and I jumped on behind him, but only barely. All that running on hardly any food was starting to take a toll on me.

I wrapped my arms around him to avoid falling off and he spurred the horse forward. I glanced back to see if Much had gotten on and saw that he had. I also saw that the Sheriff was screaming at the soldiers.

Laughing quietly I laid my head on Allan's shoulders and inhaled his scent. I almost sighed but held it in because I remembered that I was supposed to be mad at him. I didn't lift my head though.

Regardless of how mad I had been at him before I realized that I wasn't anymore. I also realized how much I had missed him.

--End Chapter--

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