Nottingham lives.

Authors Note: To begin with I do not own the right to Robin Hood Prince of thieves nor any part of the Robin Hood franchise. This is purely a fanfiction and I'm not receiving payment or anything else for this story. It is simply the dark musings of my mind.

Chapter One: The Sheriff lives.

"Come ye spirit, rise from the depths of hell where thee was damn. Seventeen years have passed and your revenge awaits you. Come wreak havoc on your mortal enemy Robin of Locksley. Come back as you left, not a day aged, but stronger and faster. Come take your bride she awaits you, take control of your land and rule over what you were born to rule." An elder man chanted before him laid the skeleton of a man. A candle and a bowl of water sat between the bones and the warlock, and a good distance from the wizard was a black steed. The wind howled the earth around the carcass rose and behind the dirt wall muscles formed, veins sprouted, and flesh covered the frame of the man. As the man sat up from behind the wall black wires sprang from his scalp, his eye lids open to reveal deep earthy orbs, his chest hair and other hair soon came. When the man was fully formed the wind and dirt settled. There he stood looking exactly the same as he had left the realm seventeen years prior, except naked.

"Master Nottingham, welcome back." The old wizard bowed on bended knee, holding out the bowl of water to him. Nottingham slowly accepted the bowl and slowly drank, cooling his throat.

"Tell me how many years has it been?" Nottingham asked while approaching the steed.

"Seventeen, my Lord." The wizard answered shortly.

"Seventeen. Has much changed? who is King? And what has become of Maid Marian?" Nottingham plagued the man with questions.

"Not much has changed, Lionheart still wears his crown, as for Maid Marian, she is now Lady Locksley and has a child, seventeen years of age." The warlock cackled.

"Tell me of the child." He demanded.

"She has hair as gold as the sun, eyes as green as emeralds, skin as white as milk. They say her voice is as lovely as a harp, even her name testifies to that, her name Melody." The warlock informed his master as they made their way back home. Nottingham sat upon the noble steed as the old man walked beside them.

"Tell me where do they reside?" Nottingham asked.

"In Marion's family's home." The elder man answered.

"Do we know of anyone who could gain us access to her place so I may see the child for myself?" Nottingham asked with a wicked grin.

"No, but I have watched the family since your death, my Lord. Particularly the Locksley girl she's always running off into Sherwood Forest to the earthly village where her father and the villagers hid. There she trains, practicing her aim with the bow and arrow; she's even fenced with the Little's eldest. There is rumor that she might be betrothed to him or one of his brothers." The wizard explained to his master.

"If she's as pretty as you say, she shall be mine, and who knows she just might be the perfect revenge. After all seventeen is a fine age to bear an heir." Nottingham chuckled darkly. He imagined the Locksley girl looking tempting as her mother, and he imagined all the dark deeds he'd do to her.

"What day is it tomorrow?" Nottingham asked as they came to his castle.

"Sunday, my Lord." The wizard informed him.

"I think perhaps I should go to church tomorrow and let everyone know of my return, don't you think so?" Nottingham asked with a smirk. The elder wizard cackled at the thought of seeing the villagers' faces and that of the Locksley family's when they see Nottingham alive and as youthful as ever.

Sunday Morning

Mass preceded like usual, Friar Tuck was in the middle of his homily when the doors of the church opened. A hooded figure followed by many men entered the church. Friar Tuck continued with his homily as everyone watched the hooded figure make his way down the center aisle his hood high over his head hiding his face in shadow. Friar Tuck stopped speaking when the figure stopped in front of him. The figure was dressed in all black and looked quite menacing.

"May I help you brother?" Friar Tuck asked as kindly as he could. The figure lifted his head up high allowing light to shine upon his face. Friar Tuck went white and fell backwards onto the alter in shock. Robin and Little John stood and took a step forward until the hooded figure removed his hood and turned to face the congregation. Everyone stood frozen in shock or fear, some both. The only ones confused where those who were born after his death or had been too young to remember.

"Nottingham, but how?" Robin asked reaching for his dagger.

"You've gotten old Locksley." Nottingham quipped. He moved his eyes to Robin's left, and he looked over Marian for a little before moving his gaze to her left. There she sat if it wasn't for her hair and eyes she would have looked exactly like Marian. Nottingham moved past Robin slowly watching him cautiously. Robin's hand twitched, but he found he couldn't bring himself to lounge at the man he killed years ago. Robin watched him carefully waiting to see what he was going to do. Nottingham stopped in front of Melody and kneeled before her.

"I take it this is your daughter; she almost looks exactly like you Marion." Nottingham sighed, "Although she has her father's eyes." Nottingham turned his attention solely on Melody.

"So tell me child what is your name?" He asked although he already knew the answer. Melody looked to her father to see if it was alright to answer him. Nottingham followed her gaze.

"What do you want Nottingham?" Robin asked glaring at the man who was still kneeling before his daughter. Nottingham stood slowly while caressing Melody's cheek.

"I want a great many of things Locksley, but what I want most is revenge and I will have it in one way or another." Nottingham growled. He took one last look at Melody before he turned and made his way back the way he came. Robin fell back into his seat, his heart racing and his mind rattling over all the possible things Nottingham had planned. He was no longer a youthful man, and by all reason if Nottingham didn't actually die neither should he, but he looked exactly the same as he did seventeen years prior. It didn't make sense none of this made any sense. Robin looked around and saw that every eye was upon him.

"What shall we do Robin?" Friar Tuck asked still sitting where he had fallen. Robin looked over at his daughter for a brief second before turning back to the friar.

"I'm not sure Tuck." Robin stated. They left the church soon after the incident shock still overwhelming everyone that had been present. The whole ride home the Locksley family was quiet, after they had put up the horse; Robin rushed inside and began pacing the floor.

"Robin, what should we do?" Marian asked.

"Who was that man and why does he want revenge on you, father?" Melody asked when Robin had only shrugged at her mother.

"He is an evil man, and we need to get you out of here I don't want you to get pulled into this." Robin stated while still pacing the floor trying to think of where he could send his daughter to be safe. Just then Azeem entered the room and looked at his pale friend pacing frantically and the worried looks of the women in the room.

"Troubling news, more than I think you know." Azeem said taking a hold of Robin's shoulder.

"Nottingham is back." Robin told his moor friend. Azeem nodded not surprised by the information at all.

"Come my pale friend I have depressing news." Azeem said leading Robin away. Robin followed silently knowing what his friend had to tell him was not going to brighten his hopes one bit.

"Where are you going?" Marian asked her child when she saw Melody walking back to the barn.

"I'm going to go out for a ride." Melody said softly. Marian followed her to the barn and watched her daughter prepare her horse.

"Are you going to go practice?" Marian asked when she saw her daughter grab her husband's bow and a quiver of his arrows.

"Yes, don't tell father." Melody begged.

"I'd prefer you not to go out." Marian sighed knowing full well her daughter had her husband's untamed spirit. Melody mounted the horse and gave her mother a sympathetic look before taking off. She didn't have to guide her horse it knew the path. She arrived in the peaceful earthy village and tied her horse to a wooden stake, before climbing up one of the old ropes into the only house that still stood. In there she changed into an outfit that her mother gave her. It was a swordsmen shirt and tight brown breeches; she slid her boots on over the breeches. She heard her horse neigh outside so she quickly grabbed a broad sword that was hidden in the small hut as well she exited the old hut. She lowered herself down onto the wooden platform and peeked over the edge seeing a black steed tied to the stake with hers. Then she saw him, Nottingham he had just exited the ruins of a hut that lay on the floor.

"Daughter of Locksley, why don't you come down and join me." Nottingham yelled knowing she was around here somewhere.

"Why should I join you down there when I don't even know who you are?" Melody called down to him.

"Come now Maid Melody, I promise I won't harm you." Nottingham chuckled.

"Still if it is all the same sir, I would rather you leave me be I come here for peace, not to be pestered." Melody told him.

"Fine, I shall go." Nottingham sighed and walked back to his horse untying it and mounting it.

"Really would have loved to get to know you, Maid Melody." Nottingham sighed and rode off out of the clearing. Melody waited till she was sure he was gone. Slowly, she descended the rope with the broad sword in hand. She stabbed the sword into the ground and took the bow from the horse and removed an arrow from the quiver. She readied the bow and was aiming it at her target when she heard galloping coming from behind her. She turned and point the arrow at the sound, Nottingham slowed his horse down in front of the girl her arrow ready to fly. There was still a good 100 yards between them.

"Do not come any closer." Melody warned.

"Can't we be reasonable, I already stated I mean you no harm." Nottingham chuckled.

"And you also said you'd go." Melody stated.

"You are quite clever, for a woman." Nottingham sneered. "You shall lower your arrow now or I will be forced to harm you." His smile all but faded as he looked at the young woman.

"You can try." Melody challenged.

Men came out of the woods behind Nottingham all armed. Melody looked over them and calculated her chance of escape. Slowly she lowered her bow and arrow. This brought a smile to Nottingham's face, thinking he had won this small battle he unmounted his horse and gave its reins to one of his men and approached the girl. Bow and arrow in her left hand, she back away to stake where her horse was tied.

"You said you wished to get to know me?" She asked nervously as her right hand worked on untying her horse.

"Yes, and I shall get to know you very well and you shall come to know me very well." Nottingham smirked.

"I do not understand, what you mean sir." Melody gulped hoping she misunderstood him. He was closing in on her a predatory gleam in his eyes. Finally, the reins came lose Melody spun left arm out using the bow as an extension of her arm to cause him to stop and back away from her. Fluidly she placed a foot in the stirrup and urged her mount to run. She heard him call for his horse as she pulled herself fully into the saddle. Her heart raced as she raced home hoping she'd make it. She had never been so glad to see her home in all of her life. The walls surrounding her home were in sight. She only had a little of ways to go before she was safe.

Just then an old man appeared before her horse in a puff of smoke, spooking her horse she fell from its saddle landing hard on the earth. Her breath left her and her head was now pounding as it had been whipped into the ground after her body had hit. She could vaguely hear her mother's worried voice calling out to her before her world went dark. Nottingham slowed his horse as he saw Melody fall from hers. He heard Marian cry out to her daughter, before his sorcerer and her vanished from sight. Marian and her lady in waiting stood downhill of Nottingham, Melody's horse making it back behind the wall the bow and arrow she had been carrying lay abandoned on the ground where she had landed.

"For all the trouble and suffering you and your husband have cost me, I'll have your daughter." Nottingham informed her before riding away. Marian called out to him begging him to leave her daughter out of it, but her cries were in vain. By the time Robin and Azeem joined her and her lady in waiting Nottingham was gone.