Chapter 1: Penny's return
'Master!' Much yelled as he came into the cave. 'Penny's coming!'
Robin twisted around and Marian raised her head, both looking at Much in disbelief.
'Are you sure?' Robin asked.
'Yes, it's definitely her,' Much agreed. 'And she's coming with a redhead woman. And they're headed right to the cave.'
'Well, let them in, then!' Robin responded as if it was obvious.
Much turned and ran out of the cave.
'I thought Penny was dead,' Marian murmured.
Robin turned back to her. 'Do you know what happened?'
He was painfully aware than she shouldn't strain herself. Dqac had said not to let her sleep. Also, he wanted to know what happened to his little sister for people to assume she was dead.
'Not really,' Marian answered. 'My father found the bodies of your father and your brothers. He said somebody had obviously purposely set out to kill them. He never found Penny, though. We thought she may have walked in as they were being killed and run off, only to be caught and killed and have her body disposed of someway.'
'No, I'm still alive.'
They both turned again. It was Penny all right. Same green eyes and golden blonde hair decorated with a headband. She still looked like hers and Robin's mother and she still wore all of Lady Catherine of Loxley's jewellery in remembrance. Penny's eyes were drawn to the dressing over Marian's belly.
'What happened to you?' she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.
'Five says Gisborne stabbed 'er,' the blue-eyed redheaded with Penny remarked in a Scottish accent.
'He did,' Much said. 'How did you know that?'
'How does Myra know anything?' Penny asked rhetorically.
Robin assumed that this girl—Myra—was often right. 'So, what happened to you?' he asked his sister.
'You were right about me walking in on our father's and brothers' murders and running away,' Penny explained, strolling over. 'But I actually got away. Myra thinks it's mostly because my rational mind shut down.'
'Sensory overload,' Dqac stated. 'I have heard of it. If your mind takes the time to process what you have perceived, you will be placed in a fatal situation, so the mind shuts down and the body runs entirely on primitive instincts.'
'This is what saved 'er life,' Myra added.
'My rational mind didn't start to kick back in until I'd gotten up to Northern Scotland,' Penny explained. 'I collapsed outside of Wick. That's where Myra found me. She took care of me and, in the time while I was recovering, she found out exactly who I was and what happened to me.'
'How did she when we couldn't?' Marian asked.
'Information is easy tae find, if ye know where tae look,' Myra answered.
'For some reason, she always does,' Penny responded. 'You know, it took her less than an hour to find out my brother is Robin Hood.'
'From Wick?' Little John asked.
'Oh, yes,' Penny agreed. 'We decided to come down after that.'
'Gisborne's forcing you to marry him?' Penny asked Marian, her eyes flickering to her brother. 'Two questions: how and why?'
'My father will be killed if I don't,' Marian told her.
Penny sat down and dropped her head. 'What a pig-swilling, bile-throated scat heap. He should've stayed in France.'
Robin looked over at his sister. 'France? You know where Gisborne comes from?'
Penny shrugged. 'When we decided to come back, I realised I'd have to face Gisborne again. So, I wanted to know about him. I asked Myra to find me information on him so I knew what I was up against.'
'What did you find out?' Robin asked.
'His father, ironically enough, was a British Crusader,' Penny answered. 'But when he returned to England, he spent a lot of time in his home. It turned out he'd picked up leprosy.'
Robin and Marian looked at each other.
'So?' Marian asked. 'He got found out and cast out?'
'At first,' Penny agreed. 'But then he returned. He went to see his wife and Guy burnt the building down, killing them both in the process.'
'Wait, he killed both of his parents?' Robin asked incredulously.
'Yes,' Penny answered. 'As well as the new Lord of the town. Because of that both he and his sister were sent to France in shame.'
'Sister?' Marian asked. 'He said he didn't have any family.'
'He lied,' Penny responded. 'He has a sister called Isabella. But he doesn't acknowledge her anymore. He saw her as a burden so he sold her as a wife to the first man who offered a decent price.'
'How old was she?' Marian asked.
'Thirteen,' Penny answered.
Marian rested her head back and Robin sighed in suppressed disgust.
'Penny!' Dqac yelled as Robin ran out to get the physician. 'Come over here! I need an extra set of hands!'
Penny shot over and took her brother's place at Marian's side.
'Help Much!' Dqac commanded. 'That needs more pressure!'
Penny applied the pressure where it was necessary.
Oh, please God! She silently prayed. Do not let her die! Robin loves her too much to handle it!
'Move back!' Pitts yelled as he moved forward to work on Marian.
Penny jumped back. She stepped back to Myra. Penny never knew why, but she'd always had an instinct about people that usually warned her if they were dangerous. Apparently she'd gotten it from her mother. The only person outside of her immediate family who knew about it was Marian. And, right now, it was screaming at her that Pitts was dangerous. But he was a trained physician. Maybe Marian's only hope.
All the same she subtly caught Robin's eye—which she'd been sure she wouldn't be able to do—and inclined her head at Pitts, letting him know he was activating that hereditary instinct. He nodded and his eyes narrowed in on Pitts suspiciously.
Then he seemed to come to a decision. He subtly and wordlessly told her to keep an eye on Pitts and Penny knew he was going to look around outside to see if Pitts had done anything to double-cross them. Penny nodded her agreement.
