A/U:-
So, this is my first Robin Hood story. I actually fell in love with this show ... and some characters. *cough cough* Richard Armitage *cough cough* - it doesn't matter that he's more than double my age ._.

Anyway, this is set somewhere during the second series, before Allan's snap to the dark side - although that will hopefully come up at some point. Perhaps. Probably. We'll see when I write it.

Disclaimer:-
I do not own anything except Danielle and her family. If I did own the show, I wouldn't have done a lot of the things that they did. If I owned it, it would still be running. *sob*

Chapter One

The tavern was full of shady figures. It always was. It was dimly lit by flickering candlelight and full of rowdy voices and the clunk of mugs of ale. A group of singing, drunken men sat at one table. Three men drowned their sorrows at another table. I sat on a single table in the corner, alone.

My identity was hidden by a thick black cloak, with a large hood that hid my face. Nobody had noticed me. The ale that sat in front of me was untouched. I was waiting for someone.

The door opened, letting in a gust of icy wind along with another shady figure who sank out of attention's spying eye. I watched as he scanned the room once, twice, three times, and then finally his blue eyes found on me. He walked up to me, hugging his own cloak closer to himself, and then sank into the chair opposite mine.

"Danielle," he greeted me.

"Robin," I greeted him.

"How are you?"

"How do you think I am? My mother's barely coping and little Joe is barely getting through this winter."

He eyed me sympathetically for a moment before asking, "What can I do?"

"Get me into the castle."

He blinked.

"Sorry?"

"You know all of the best ways of sneaking into the castle. I want to get in there, unnoticed," I clarified.

"…Danielle, whatever you want, I will try to get for you, but please don't get yourself hurt doing something stupid."

"No," I said sharply, "What I am going to do is not stupid. The Sheriff is destroying us, Robin. He practically owns us, body and soul, for all of the work that we have to do for nothing. He's killingus,and the worst part is that he enjoys it. He needs to be stopped, Robin, and I am willing to risk my life to stop him."

Robin Hood leant on his elbows so that he was closer to me, to be extra sure that only I could hear him.

"Let me get this straight," he said, frowning, "You want to kill the Sheriff."

"Exactly."

He sighed and slunk back into his chair, bringing his fingers up to his mouth.

"Danielle, do you not think that I would have already, if I thought that it was for the best?"

"I think that you would have already… if you had got the right chance."

Suddenly, the door burst open and a man in armour stood in its frame, glaring into the room. His large outline was silhouetted against the white of the snow outside. He was searching for something, or someone. His eyes landed on us and a cruel smile attached itself to his mouth.

"Robin…" I murmured warningly, staring in horror at the man who had turned to shout over his shoulder. Robin twisted around to match my line of sight.

Then the man yelled, "HE'S IN HERE!" and all hell broke loose.

"Run!" Robin shouted to me as he leapt to his feet, simultaneously drawing his bow and an arrow. I didn't need to be told twice. I jumped up and ran for the closest window.

As I glanced over my shoulder, I noticed that several other men had appeared out of nowhere, fighting with Robin against the guards, in the middle of the tavern and spilling out into the streets whilst the drunkards roared and the tavern owner shrieked.

Hitching up my skirts, I hoisted myself onto the ledge and pounced down into the deep blanket of snow, landing in a predator's crouch. Without another thought, I began to run. It was difficult, wading through the snow. I just needed to get home. No one had known that it was me. I would be safe once I got home and hid my cloak.

Suddenly, I heard shouting and horses. I kept running. A little voice in the back of my mind told me that I was finished, but I ignored it and kept going. If anything, I just needed to get home to tell my mother and brother that I love them and that I am sorry.

A rough hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a halt as his horse stopped.

"Get off me!" I screamed, struggling out of his tight grip, "Let me go!"

His other hand dragged the hood off of my head, revealing the strands of golden hair beneath. I quickly turned my face away, trying to hide it.

"You are hereby under arrest for conspiring with the number one outlaw, Robin Hood," announced a rough voice.

I gasped, incapable of stopping myself from looking up at the voice I recognised and feared. I was met by Sir Guy of Gisborne's merciless grey eyes. A smirk grew on his face as he recognised who I was.

"I should have known that you would be the next to go, Danielle."

He was holding both of my hands in one of his now, so that I was unable to do anything but glare at him.

"How do you know that I was conspiring with the outlaws? For all you know, it could have just been part of my plan to get him captured. It could have been a trap," I hissed.

"I know you better than you think," he said, "I have been watching you, Danielle. You have a grudge against the Sheriff and me for hanging your father. But you should know, girl, that he was a treacherous, cowardly fool. He was never the person that you believed him to be."

If the arrow hadn't hit him then, I would have. It didn't matter that he was holding me so tightly that my hands were crushed; I would have broken down a thousand stone walls to kill him right there.

Guy dropped my hands as the arrow pierced the leather of his shoulder. I gasped as I fell into the freezing snow. To my surprise, two strong arms pulled me up and dragged me out of the way before Guy could get to me again.

The man ran with me to the dark corner between two buildings and pressed me against the wall, with a hand over my mouth. I stared at my hero in shock as he leant back to check if the coast was clear.

After what seemed like an age, he took his hand away and looked back at me with concern in his clear, blue eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Allan?" I gasped.

He rolled his eyes.

"I said, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine," I said, still staring at my childhood friend.

"You're lying."

I huffed, "Well, you're not one to talk."

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"I'm being serious," he insisted, taking my hands and lifting them up so that I could see them.

My wrists were badly bruised and even bleeding at one point from where Guy's fingernail must have cut into my flesh. I winced.

"Come on, I'll take you to Djaq. She'll sort you out."

Without wasting any more time, he took my hand – being careful of the damage – and pulled me away.

"Ouch!" I hissed as my ankle gave way, making me tumble to the ground.

Allan stood over me, frowning.

"I'm not being funny but you shouldn't be sitting there. The guards are looking for you; you're as good as hanged."

I winced as I failed to stand up.

"My ankle –"

"Fine, I'll pick you up."

"No!" I shrieked as he scooped his arms underneath my back and legs. As he lifted me off the ground I grabbed at his cloak, my heart racing. "Put me down!" I begged, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Well, I need to get you out of here, somehow. What's your problem, anyway?"

"Heights," I sniffed, "I can't stand heights."

"This isn't even high!" he exclaimed.

Slowly, I looked up so that he could see how angry and afraid my face was.

"Put…me…down…" I ordered through gritted teeth.

Sighing, he dropped me unceremoniously back onto my feet. I stumbled, but managed to steady myself on my good foot.

Allan stood with his hands on his hips, scowling at me.

"So, how do you suggest we get to the forest?" he asked after a moment of us glaring at each other.

"I'll hobble," I decided.

He snorted.

"Well, can you think of anything better?" I snapped.

Chuckling, he offered me his arm, which I accepted and we managed to move, slowly but surely, through the shadows until we had reached the outskirts of the forest.

And so began my life as an outlaw.

Quick A/U:-

What did you think? I hope you liked it. If you did, please review. Reviews always, always make me smile. Do you like Danielle? I'm not sure whether I like her or not yet? Do you think that I'm rushing it at all? If I am at any point, please tell me to slow down. There is nothing worse than a rushed plot. I promise that the coming chapters will have more action and possibly passion, although I doubt there will be anything explicit. I prefer to have an innocent mind, you see. So, yeah... review?

Lots of love, from Beth Mae xx