Will sat down heavily on the forest floor and leaned his frame against one of the trees. His father had just been killed by one of Sheriff's men. It hurt just thinking about it. He had loved his father, even if he had never told him. He now wished he had. It was his fault too. He had told his father he was weak because he had let the Sheriff cut his hand off and steal his land away. He felt the guilt right down to his very core. His stomach tightened every time he thought about it. Looking down, he realized he had smashed a pink wild flower. Picking it up gingerly, he fingered it in contemplation.
Hearing soft footfalls on the leaves, Will turned abruptly and saw Djaq standing a few feet away, looking at him with concern. Walking closer, she sat down on the ground beside him. He looked down into Djaq's eyes, waiting for her to start the conversation.
"I know how you feel. My..." she started, but he broke in.
"Your twin brother was killed."
"How did you know that?"
He looked away. "When Alen's brother and two friends were hung, you told him how your brother died in the Holy Wars and how you took his name and became him," Will stated plainly without looking at her. He was ashamed that he had eavesdropped.
He must have had his thoughts written all over his face because she then softly said, "You over heard our conversation."
He nodded.
"Do you miss your brother?" he asked.
"Yes, every day. I think about him all the time. You miss your father?" she spoke gently.
He clamped his jaw down tight to keep from crying. Thinking about his father made his heart ache. His throat constricted. Swallowing a couple times, the lump went down. He nodded. "Yes," he said hoarsely. He tried to keep his voice even as he spoke. "It was my fault."
"No it wasn't. The Sheriff ordered it. You had nothing to do with it."
"He lost respect in my eyes and I told him so. I shouldn't have said that; I shouldn't have told him," he spoke angrily.
Djaq knelt down beside him and took his head in her hands so she could look him straight in the eyes. "It was not your fault. You have to believe that. You have to stop blaming yourself or you will be destroyed by that guilt. You won't be the Will Scarlet we know and love."
Will nodded, his head still in her hands. She smiled and his heart leapt. He was in love with her and he wanted to tell her so, but was afraid she didn't feel the same. Looking in her eyes, he saw his own want reflect back at him. Leaning forward, he placed his hands on her waist, drawing her closer. She looked surprise at his touch. "Saffia," he whispered her real name, his voice hoarse.
Her eyes grew wide. "You remembered?" she breathed in disbelief.
"How could I forget? I fell in love with you the very first time I saw you."
He looked away in thought, and then smiled sheepishly. "Well, maybe not the very first time I saw you; you were dressed like a boy."
She smiled, then looked down at his hands on her waist and immediately saw the flower still in his hand.
Following where her eyes went, he too spied the flower. Lifting his hand from her waist, he placed the flower in her short black hair. Her hair was finally long enough to hold the flower in place.
Looking into her eyes, he drew her closer. Leaning down, his kissed her. Her lips were warm and moist. He watched her eyelashes flutter against her cheeks.
Her hand left his face and snaked around his neck, pulling his head closer to hers. She rubbed her thumb across his ruff three day old stubble on his cheek. It tickled her cheek and lips, making her smile slightly. Inhaling his warm scent, she detected a woody pine.
His right hand crept up her back to her neck as his other arm tightened around her waist, pulling her closer. As his hand played in her hair, he deepened the kiss. Simply the touch and smell of her made him loose contact with the world and float into another world of bliss, making him dizzy.
He pulled back with obvious reluctance and reminded himself to breath. He kept his arm around her waist, but his other hand moved down her neck to her cheek where he caressed it softly.
She slowly opened her eyes. "Will," she breathed, "I love you too." She was close to crying. "I'm sorry. I should have said earlier. You, Will Scarlet are strong, and true, and you fight for what you believe in. And that is why I love you."
He blushed. "And I love you. I love the way you say what you mean. I love your silly voice. I love they way you fight, like a man: ferocious. And the way you will always, always be a woman. It doesn't really matter when you told me; only that I know you do now. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be able to fight like I do. You are my passion, my life, my love, my everything." Smiling, his thumb rubbed her bottom lip, and he remembered the way she had kissed him.
"You're an outlaw, a carpenter, and now a poet."
He blushed again under her praise. He loved her voice with that adorable accent.