Change

"Father you mustn't go!" Lady Michelle cried as her father mounted his horse.

"Be brave my daughter." He said patting Michelle on the head. "I will be back in time for your wedding."

"That is not what I fear." Michelle replied. "You will be gone for many years, and I fear I can not keep our country safe alone."

"My dear child you will have Guy at your side." Her father reasoned. Michelle nodded and stepped away from her father's side. Taking that as a sigh to leave, the horse took off down the road.

"I hope your right." Michelle said under her breath.

Dearest Father,

Four years have left sense the day you left and the country

is falling to pieces.

Please I beg of you, return home to us and return our

country back to what it used to be.

With all my heart and faith,

Lady Michelle

"Please make sure this reaches my father in good time." Michelle said placing her letter in a courier's hand.

"I will do so my lady." The courier said with a bow.

"Sending another letter to your father I see." A gruff voice said from the door.

"That I am." Michelle replied. "What may I ask are you doing here?"

"Do I no longer have the privilege of visiting my future bride?" The man said wrapping his arms around Michelle's tiny waist.

"You still have the privilege, Guy." Michelle said turning to face him. "I wasn't expecting you that is all. Now remove your filthy hands from my body."

"My lady we have been engaged for almost five years now. Why must you still hate me?" Guy asked taking his hands away from her. He wasn't a bad looking man. His eyes were a dark brown along with his curly hair. The only thing wrong with him was his manners and his deep, gruff voice.

Michelle glared at him. Her cool blue eyes were as hard as ice. "I had no say in whom I was to wed. You just so happened to be liked best by my father."

Guy let the words sink in for a moment before he spoke again. "Please my lady, will you be so kind as to go on a horse ride with me?"

"Do I have a choice?" Michelle asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, I'm afraid." Guy said with a smile.

"Than if I must, I must." Michelle said fallowing Guy to his beautiful black horse. Guy mounted first then helped Michelle on behind him.

"Ready?" Guy asked. Before Michelle could answer he kicked the horse in the side and down the road it went. They road past the villagers and far into the meadows. They were only three miles from the Locksley castle when three men on horses and two men leading hounds approached them.

"Sir we are looking for a boy who has been accused of pouching deer." One of them said. "What would you like us to do?"

"Find him." Guy replied. Then he looked back at Michelle and added. "I didn't expect this much excitement on our horse ride. Hold on tight my lady."

Michelle found herself holding Guy tightly around his waist. They sped through the valley when the hounds picked up the boys sent.

"There he is!" one of the men shouted. About thirty feet in front of them was a young boy about eleven or twelve years old.

"After him." Guy demanded kicking his horse in the sides.

"But Guy, he is only a small boy!" Michelle protested. But her complaint went unheard.

"Release the hounds." Guy ordered and slowed his horsed pace. The men let the hounds go. They charged after the boy, slowly gaining on him. But to Michelle's relief the boy climbed a tree far from the hound's jaws.

"You're not playing by the rules boy. Deer don't climb trees." Guy said with a hideous laugh. "Maybe he thinks he's a game bird. Lets teach him to fly."

Guy's men cheered as the got out their axes.

"No!" Michelle objected, but Guy hushed her words.

"Get him down." Guy finally ordered. He looked at Michelle his eyes cold and fierce. "You would do better to keep your mouth shut. Now remove yourself from my horse and go stand over there." Guy help Michelle down then gruffly pushed her away. Michelle slowly walked over to a large rock and sat down. She wondered how mad her father would get if she called her engagement off.

"Hold!" A voice commanded as soon as one of Guys men went to chop the tree. Michelle looked up to see a handsome man she remembered from her child hood. Who he was she couldn't remember but his strong face was not a stranger to her.

"I'm curious to see what kind of creature is so fearsome it takes six men to attack it." The man said watching Guy and his men.

"Bend down. This is no affair of yours." Guy replied, his voice filled with anger.

"Well do we treat the devil himself? Let me see." The man said looking up into the tree. "A small boy. A truly dangerous animal."

"He killed one of the Sheriff of Nottingham's deer." Guy said looking over at Michelle.

"He was starving us! We needed the meat!" The boy protested.

Guy glared up at the boy then turned to the unknown man. " I advice you to move one pilgrim. This is the Sheriff's land."

"Wrong!" The man replied raising his voice a little. "This is my land, and my tree, so what ever is in it belongs to me."

Michelle gasped, memories shot back to her of a boy she and her cousins used to play with. But This man was nothing like the little bully she had once known. Guy looked back at Michelle then to the man. "May I have the pleaser of your name. Before I have you run through."

"Guy, no!" Michelle pleaded. She ran to Guys side. "You mustn't!"

Guy pushed her aside. "Your name?"

"Robin of Locksley." The man said with pride.

"Oh Robin I knew it was you. You have returned." Michelle exclaimed.

"And I see you haven't changed a bit Lady Michelle." Robin replied with a smile.

Michelle blushed. "Well of course not."

"Kill him!" Guy said picking Michelle up and taking her back to the rock. He abruptly set her down "Your beauty hides your stupidity my lady."

Glaring at her for the last time he took out his sward and took off after Robin. Soon he was knocked off his horse by Robin himself. Both men went for the sward Guy dropped, but Robin was faster. Robin quickly stood up and pointed the sward at Guy's throat.

"Now sir if you'd be so kind to give me your name before I run you through." Robin said moving the blade closer.

Seeing defeat Guy answered. "Guy of Gisborne, the sheriff's cousin. The basterd was pouching deer."

"Pouching? Is it not a greater crime to starve a family?" Robin said in disbelief.

Guy laid there every so often looking over at Michelle. "Go on Locksley, go on."

No Robin!" Michelle pleaded. "Please forgive him."

Robin didn't turn towards her. He kept his eyes on Guy. "I have seen enough blood spilled to last me two life times. Now get off my land, and tell Nottingham what happens to their scum when they pick on small children."

Guy got to his feet. He grabbed his horses rains then took Michelle by the arm. He mounted his horse and brought Michelle up with him. "Not a word of this you hear me."

"Yes, I understand." Michelle whispered in his ear but her eyes where on Robin. She watched him till he as out of sight and let her memories flow into her head. He had changed over the years. Robin was no longer that young bully who tied her hair in knots or dipped it in the ink bottle. No Robin had finally become a man.

"Stay here." Guy said getting off the horse. Michelle watched him enter the castle before she realized that she was home. Sliding off the horse she noticed two guards coming towards her on either direction.

"My lady." The tall guard said as he grabbed her by the arm.

"Let go of me!" Michelle yelled trying to get free. She knew the two guards. They were her father's best men. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Sorry my lady." The second guard said taking her other arm. "We have our orders."

"Orders from whom?" Michelle asked still struggling to get free.

"Your father my lady." The tall one replied dragging her from the castle. He grabbed rope from around his waist and tied Michelle's hands together.

"No please let me go. Henry! Charles! You know father would never order such a thing!" Michelle exclaimed looking at her people for help. None of them met her gaze. Gradually Michelle gave up her fight and let the guards take her away. Michelle watched her people turn their head away when she passed. She saw the children she adored glare at her. Their tiny faces were cold and hateful. Michelle could feel her hear tear in two. The people she had loved where now turning their backs on her.

The men dragged Michelle far from the castle and deep into Sherwood Forest.

"Where are you taking me?" Michelle demanded. She knew the stories about Sherwood Forest and she became even more frightened.

"Just to here my Lady." Charles said untying Michelle's hands. He pushed her to the ground and took out his sward. Henry did the same thing.

"No please don't." Michelle begged.

"You won't be needing this." Henry said removing Michelle's head dress.

"Or these." Charles said ripping Michelle's beautiful violet dress into rags.

"Pleas you don't have to do this." Michelle pleaded with them. "I will disappear and never return. Please don't kill me. You both know my word is as good as gold."

The men laughed. Charles pointed his sward towards Michelle's throat. "An order is an order my lady." Slowly he brought his sward up, ready to strike. Michelle took her chance and kicked him as hard as she could in the groin. Charles went down and Michelle took off. Henry was not too far behind her.

"Come back my lady." He said sweetly. "It will be over before you know it."

Michelle ran deeper into the forest till she came to a huge river. "Oh no." Michelle said under her breath. She looked back into the forest then towards the water.

"There you are!" Henry said from behind her. Michelle didn't hesitate, she quickly stepped into the water. Michelle let out a small cry. The water was cold and already up to her waist.

"Take out your bow and arrows!" Charles said finally catching up to them. "She should die in pain."

Michelle took a deep breath and dove into the water, arrows flying past her. She let the current take over a small water fall and farther down stream away from the arrows. She came up and looked around. There was no sign of the guards. Michelle quickly got out of the river and looked up and down stream. She had never been this far from home.

Feeling hopeless she sat down on a rock and began to cry. "Why father? Why did you have to go?" Michelle cried till her tears became dry. "Oh father please return to me"

"Excuse me miss?" A woman said from the trees. Michelle quickly stood up and turned to see a plump woman standing there, a worried look on her face.

"I'm sorry." Michelle said wiping away her tears.

"Don't apologize for not doing any thing." The woman said sweetly. "Why were you crying little lady?"

"My father left four years ago, and because he's gone my world has been ruined." Michelle replied sitting back down. The woman sat down next to her and gave Michelle a worm hug.

"Now things can't be that bad." The woman said rocking Michelle back and forth. "Where is your mother?"

"Never had one. She died when I was born." Michelle replied. "Now I have people trying to kill me. They say on my fathers orders."

"Do you believe it?" The woman asked.

"Not a word of it." Michelle said pulling away. "My father would order no such thing."

"What is your name child?" The woman asked. Michelle hesitated before she answered. Michelle was a very common name for a woman her age, but if she used it would the woman put two and two together.

"It's…Michelle." Michelle answered deciding that it was safe to use her real name.

"Very popular name for a girl your age. Mine's Fanny." The woman replied shaking Michelle's hand. "I'm guessing you'll need a place to live."

Michelle nodded. She never thought she'd ever be homeless. Her live had been all planed out for her. She was her father's only child which meant she would inherit his land and she was engaged to a well kept man. But that life was over.

"You may stay with me." Fanny said patting Michelle on the back. "You'll pretend to be part of my family. You're what seventeen or eighteen years old?"

"Yes, I'm eighteen." Michelle said with a smile.

"Your about the same age as my first child." Fanny said with a sad smile. "She died when she was three."

"I'm sorry." Michelle said.

"Don't be, I have six more." Fanny added with a happy smile. "So do you take my offer?"

"Why of course!" Michelle exclaimed.

"Then we'll have to work on a few things." Fanny sad looking up and down Michelle.

"I'll change what ever pleases you." Michelle replied.

"First you'll have to loose your proper talk. And you'll go by a different name." Fanny said crossing her arms.

"May I go by Rebecca?" Michelle pleaded. "I've always wanted to name my first girl Rebecca!"

Fanny shook her head. "Where were you raised? In the Kings house? First you talk all proper and you adore the name Rebecca. We simple folk talk simple and have simple names."

Michelle looked down at the ground she didn't realize how different the rich and the poor lived. "What name do you suggest?"

Fanny smiled and with out a moments hesitation replied. "Fern."