DISCLAIMER: unfortunately I do not own these characters for they are property of BBC. Poop.
The sun bore down on them for they were the only ones within miles that the sun could taunt. She shone brightly, showering them all in sickly wet sweat. Her heat grew in intensity until it was simply unbearable. Djaq loved the sun for it had graced her as a child with her copper skin, but now she found her old friend an enemy. Why would she burden them all with such smothering heat.
She, being a Saracen, always despised King Richard for waging war on her people, but this severe dislike turned into sheer hatred when he turned on Robin and them due to some stranger's words that they had turned traitorous. If there is one thing she knew about Robin, it was that he was an honest man. And this honesty made the accusation against him ever more appalling.
What disgusted her the most about Richard's choice to make the desert decide his betrayer's fate was that he strung everyone else alongside Robin. Allan, herself… Will. None of them deserved to die- neither did Robin, but truly.
It was not their time.
She had been tied to the back row of posts, directly behind Will, whom she had only just declared her love for. He watched the front row of men- Robin, Allan and Will- as their heads bobbed in exhaustion. Her own head dipped from time to time, and her eyes closed more often than not.
This heat.
"How long?" Will asked suddenly. His voice sounded strong and brave. She could only wish her voice would sound as convincing.
"In this heat, without water…" she shook her head. She realised Will would not be able to see her action, and as she began to try and explain it, she could only let out a grunt of sheer helplessness.
"I am sorry, my love. I should have made you stay with Bassam." He said miserably.
"I." Djaq said, trying to make her voice sound true, and open. To her it sounded dry and tired. "Would never leave you, Will Scarlet." Her voice trembled.
She wished she could see his reaction, instead of just the back of his head and the limpness of his hands.
They stood for what seemed like hours, the relentless sun beating down on their exhausted bodies. Djaq licked her dry lips, and yet she was unable to lubricate her mouth. She tried to swallow, but all she could do was gag.
She wished she had confessed her love for Will earlier so that they could have be#en together longer. They had only had a few short weeks to be together in an acknowledged relationship. Her Will. So strong. So passionate.
So still.
She watched him for a full minute, unblinking, unwavering. She waited for his head to be forced upright once more, a silent reassurance that he was still with them. Still with her.
"Will." She croaked. Beside her, Much looked up wearily. "Will?" she repeated.
"R-Robin." Much asked, his voice almost audible.
"Yes my friend?" Robin asked, struggling to raise his head.
"Is Will…?" Djaq could not ask.
With immense effort, Robin swung forward in his bondings to get a better view of Will. He paused; "I- I do not think…"
"Oh God, Will!" her voice found her in time for her to screech. "Will?" she pleaded.
He did not move.
She watched Robin bash his head off of the pole he was tied to in despair. Djaq tried to weep, yet her eyes had no tears left to shed. She was vaguely aware of the gang mumbling prayers, but she had little care for prayers.
She welcomed death now; what more had she to live for? As cliché as it sounds, Will was her life and without him she was in darkness. She wanted Allah to offer his home to her, and she would have been willing to ascend into his arms.
She wanted to die.
Yet, as she silently pondered these wishes a terrible realisation dawned on her. If there was an afterlife, her Will would not be there. He would not be waiting there for her in Jannah – if there were such a place – for he would have alighted to his heaven with his Jesus Christ. In death she would not have him. In life she barely had him.
Wasn't life supposed to be fair? An adventure? Her one and only adventure had begun and ended with Will- from the moment he clapped eyes on that small Saracen boy until the last fleeting glance of her he had before he was tied to a post.
Where was the fairness in that? Why wasn't he allowed to live? Why couldn't he…?
She saw the arrival of Marian, but did not see. She heard the exchange of words, but did not hear.
It all seemed so trivial now.
Carter. Carter. You're too late Carter.
She was cut down, but her knees no longer had the strength to hold herself up. She fell into the dust heavily, but the pain she felt when she collided with the earth was nothing compared ot the pain her heart was in.
She crawled the short distance to Will and managed to pull herself up with the pole he was tied to. She held onto him for strength and climbed round to face him, leaning on him. Even in death he still supported her. She lifted his head up gently, wishing to look upon the handsome face once more. His eyes were shut, denying her the pleasure, no, the honour of looking into his caring hazel eyes.
"Release him." She whispered, lifting her head to his limp neck, hugging the corpse of the man she loved. Obediently, yet hesitantly, Carter cut his right hand rope. There he swung crazily, Djaq along with him until Littlejohn caught them both and held them steady. "Let him go." Djaq stuttered. Again, Littlejohn obeyed, and Carter cut the left one down.
They crumpled to the floor like a bag of corn. She wanted to fall together, wanted to have her final fall with her love. She had no inclination to get back up. She held her lover in her arms.
What more could she as fork?
"Leave me. I wish to stay here." Djaq told the shadow that passed over her.
There was most likely an all-knowing nod passed in her direction, but she did not have the energy to open her eyelids to see.
Once the horses had left, she heard nothing besides from her own heart's slowing pace. In the few minutes before her death, she completely and utterly redirected her faith, begging Allah to allow her to join her lover in his heaven. She had spent her life worshipping Allah. She now wished to spend her death worshipping Will.
She was not afraid of death.
She did not feel her death, for living without Will felt like death.
She was vaguely aware of a brief change in darkness and then she found herself in a white area- not a room, not a space. Nowhere. A figure appeared before her. A man clad in white with light radiating from the crown of his head.
"You should not be here Djaq."
"I am here to find Will Scarlet." She realised she spoke.
"He is not here." The man replied, his lips still. It was as though he was speaking telepathically.
"Of course he is… he… where is he?"
"He came to me and requested he were to be placed under Allah's care."
Will… Will had changed his religion for me? But I had changed mine for his.
"I take it you would like to return to your rightful place?"
With a silent nod, she found herself once again becoming vaguely aware of a brief change in darkness, and then she found herself in a white are- not a room, not a space. Nowhere. A figure appeared before her. A man, clad in Islamic clothes, with pale skin and an axe sheathed in his belt. A single pendant hung around his neck engraved with an overlapping arrow and axe. His eyes were bright and full of elation.
William Scarlet.