Scene After Episode 5

Marian went up the stairs, leaving her father downstairs while she headed straight for the basin of water and the bandages by the top of the stairway in her room. She removed her cloak, hastily throwing it onto her bed before proceeding to rolling her sleeves up. The wound she had received from Gisborne was bleeding again, and she needed new bandages. It wasn't an extremely deep cut, but it would still take a few days to heal.

She removed the bloody bandage, and grabbed a new one. She dipped it into the water basin, and began to clean the wound once more, as she had done earlier.

"Do that during your embroidery?" a voice asked from behind her.

Her head snapped up, and she saw Robin leaning lazily next to her window, watching her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked coolly, changing the subject.

Robin chuckled and walked towards her. He stood next to her as she dabbed at her cut.

"Just thought I'd pop in to apologize for my late arrival, earlier," he said.

"Is that so?" Marian asked nonchalantly.

Robin cracked a smile. "I saw that you handled the situation well."

She nodded, focusing on her injury. "I am not as helpless as you all think I am."

"Who do you mean by, 'you all'," Robin asked.

"Men," she said simply.

Robin laughed. Then, as Marian removed the cloth to rinse it in the basin, he took a closer look at her wound. "What happened?" he asked, frowning.

"Nothing," she answered, turning her arm downwards so that the wound was facing away from Robin.

He shook his head. "That does not look like nothing to me." He leaned forward and grabbed her arm lightly. While she tried to protest, he brought her arm so that he could look at it better.

"It is just a cut," Marian said, exasperated.

Robin looked up, his eyes serious. "Who did this to you?"

"No one," she lied. "Just an accident while I was out."

"Out doing what, Marian?" he demanded.

She drew her arm back and wrapped her wound with new, dry, bandages. "Just helping some miners," she said, shrugging her shoulders, hoping Robin would just drop it.

"The miners? As who, the Nightwatchman?" he said disapprovingly.

"Yes, as the Nightwatchman," she retorted. "And I was perfectly fine."

"Then what happened? Did a miner cut you as thanks?" he scoffed.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "No, of course not. I just ran into someone."

Robin sighed. "Just answer me," he said. "Who hurt you? Was it one of the Sheriff's men? Did he attack you or something?"

"Robin, really. Nothing serious occurred. The miners weren't allowed any food, so I dropped some off for them. As I was leaving, Gis-one of the Sheriff's men happened to be riding back and saw me and tried to get in the way of my leave."

"You were going to say Gisborne, weren't you?"

Marian sighed in frustration. "What does it matter? I am here, alive and well, with nothing but a small cut. I do not see what the big deal is."

Robin felt his anger flare up a bit at Marian's irresponsible behavior. "The big deal is that you are not taking this Nightwatchman business seriously, Marian! You could have been caught, or killed, and I would not have been there to help you! And yet you pretend that it is nothing important!"

"I do take this seriously, Robin! I have been the Nightwatchman for the past three years, and nothing extremely bad has ever happened to me. And you face death and capture even more than I do everyday! So do not tell me what I can and cannot do, Robin!" she exclaimed furiously.

"It's different," he protested.

Marian shook her head, still frustrated. "How? How is it different? The only difference is that I act with more intelligence than you do!"

Robin ran his hand through his hair angrily and gritted his teeth. "This Nightwatchman business is going to be the end of you," he warned.

Marian met his gaze coldly. "I am not a little girl, Robin. I do not need your protection, I can take care of myself. I would appreciate it if you had a bit more faith in me. I am not the helpless girl you left at home while you went off to fight the war in the Holy Land."

Robin sighed. "Marian, I am only trying to help. I know you are not helpless. But I can't help but feel responsible if something were to happen to you."

"If anything were to happen, it would not be your fault."

Robin remained quiet, pondering his thoughts. Even though he and Marian were no longer betrothed, he could not help but care and worry about her.

Marian sighed as well. She turned back to the basin and neatly folded the remaining bandages.

"If there is nothing else you wish to talk about," she said quietly, "I suggest you take your leave. I am quite tired."

Still, Robin said nothing. When she turned back his way, she saw he was leaving out the window.

As he prepared to jump out, he glanced back and said, "I do have faith in you, Marian."

Marian kept her gaze down, fingering the hem of her dress. She hated fighting with Robin.

"Goodnight," he whispered, and began to climb down the vines leading up to her window.

Marian looked up again and sighed at the empty window. Why were things always so difficult between them? Robin thought that the Nightwatchman was too dangerous for her. And she thought he acted too foolishly by ridiculing the Sheriff and Gisborne openly.

She threw her hands up in frustration and walked quickly to the window. She did not want to leave things between them like that.

"Robin!" she called to his retreating figure on the ground.

He turned, surprised.

She gave a small smile. "I do appreciate your concern, and I promise to be more careful in the future, if that would make you feel better," she said, knowing that that was what he would want to hear.

He grinned. "Thank you, Marian."

"Goodnight," she called out as she began to leave the window.

"Wait, Marian!"

"Yes?"

"Don't I get a goodnight kiss?" he asked as he ran and climbed the wall again.

She laughed. "I am not sure you deserve it."

"Well, if that is the case, then, I think you at least deserve one for lending a helping hand to those in need today and dealing with the consequences." He leaned forward and gave her a peck on the cheek. Then with a wink, he climbed back down. On the ground, he waved goodbye and left.

Before Marian went to bed that night, she touched the spot on her cheek where Robin had kissed her.

She slept well.

THE END.