Well hello there, glad you clicked on my story. Anyway, heres a quick summary.

Marian, niece to Lord Locksley discovers a strangers guards beating a young boy. She tries to rescue him and from then young Marian is swept into the rough and unlawful world of the Outlaws. But with a traitor in their midst how long will she survive?

Please Please Please review. (Or my sporks shall eat you!)

I did not come up with most of these characters, but the plot and their personality's are mine. All mine!

Enjoy.

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It was crowded, hot and stuffy. Tall men mixed among young ladies, the men sweating and the women covered in the stench of too powerful perfume. The minute you stepped inside, the sounds and smell's sent your head spinning and your stomach reeling. But I am not talking about a prison or a dungeon, nay. I am talking about my Uncle's hall in the middle of a ball in full swing.

I was forced to smile and curtsey at swaggering, half drunken oafs and endure the high-pitched, annoying voices of my 'companions'. To put i mildly, I was not enjoying myself. But the worst was not over, nay, it had not even begun. If I had known what would happen in the events following, the sorrow that it would cause, I might have run away there and then. But I did not know, and so I was forced to endure.

Amidst the throng of lords and ladies I spotted my uncle with another man, probably some lord or other. I went to turn away when I saw him motioning towards me. I nearly frowned but remembered that he hated it when I did that. He said it would ruin my beauty and I'd have to be beautiful to buy a good price with the young lords. I nodded and made my way through the dancers till I was standing in front of the two men. I curtsied and smiled like a simpering idiot-- it helped if men thought I was stupid. They were more likely to underestimate me. I looked up through my thick eyelashes at the two men. One I knew. He was Lord Locksley, my fathers brother. About the age of fifty he had black hair flecked with grey, a stern look on his face, and cruel eyes that seemed to shine at anybody else's discomfort. I hated him. He was of my kin but I hated him all the same. When my father and mother died in the fire thirteen years ago, when I was three, my uncle had taken me in. Some people would take this as an act of kindness, but I knew better. My mother had been beautiful, or so everyone said. I could not remember her. He hoped I would take after her; then he could 'sell' me to the highest buying Lord.

The other man I did not know. He was younger then my father, but exactly what his age was I could not guess. He had curls of brown hair and green eyes. At first I thought him just another lord but then he smiled at me, and what a smile it was. I felt myself shiver, it was sly and cruel. His features seemed to slip and slither like a snake, and his eyes. Those green emeralds, they watched me. I wanted to turn and run, run as far away as I could from this-- this creature. My uncle must have noticed that something was wrong, for he frowned at me, looking down as he always did.

"This is Marian, my niece and the only child of my dearly departed sister, Caroline Locksley." The green-eyed lord looked me up and down, scrutinizing me. I forced my lip to stop trembling and smiled. "M'lord, I do not think I have had the pleasure." As I looked him in the face he nodded, ever so slightly. "I am Sir Guy of Gisbourne." Then he turned to my father and spoke as if I was not there. "She takes after her mother, quite a beauty." I heard my Uncles sigh if relief. "Marian, Sir Guy is to be your husband."

I heard the words but I did not understand them, I stood staring at them like a half-brained idiot. Luckily, Sir Guy must have thought that it was just my stupid female genes instead of actually horror and repulsion. "My...my husband?" I managed to stammer out. "I..I see. How nice to meet you, M'lord." I smiled again but my stomach was hurling, my mind was in a twirl. "I am no Lord, Lady Marian, I am a knight. Anointed by Prince John, the King's brother." I nodded but I was unable to speak. My Uncle, seeing that I was in shock and afraid that I might say something that would offend Sir Guy quickly dismissed me. I was thankful to be out of their presence, just the thought of being near that monster again repelled me. I glanced round and saw the door in the distance, I had to get out of there. I stumbled through the crowds until I reached the door that led to the courtyard. I started running, down the rows of trees and along the lake that ran through my Uncle's land. Finally I stopped. I flopped down on the cold, wet grass and closed my eyes. How long I lay there, I don't know. But when I opened my eyes again I felt better. My heart had calmed down and I started to think clearly.

One thing I knew was that I could not marry that man, but there was nothing I could do. Not one thing. Carefully I stood up and smoothed my dress out. There was nothing I could do, I was resigned to fate. I made to turn back to our manor, not to go back to the ball but maybe to my room, where I could get some peace and quiet. Suddenly I heard a sound, an ear-splitting cry. I stood frozen. What was that sound? It sounded like an animal howling at the moon, half mad in torment. Another cry, this time I thought I could discern the word; "Help." Animals did not talk, it was a human. Some poor person was in pain!

Without another thought I ran towards the source of the cry. It was not far, it was right by the gates of my Uncle's land. I could see the figures of a few grown-men hitting a smaller person. As I neared I saw that it wasn't a small man, it was a boy! A young boy! I ran forward, shouting for them to stop. They paused and turned round, their faces surprised, then scornful. What could a young girl do to them? Just as I reached them I heard the clang of steel and one of the men dropped down dead. I stopped and looked to the spot where the man had been standing. In his place stood a figure covered in shadow, all I could make out were those emerald eye. For a moment I thought it was Sir Guy but they lacked that cruel glare. I was jolted from my thoughts by the sound of more steel being drawn, I spun round and realized that there were more of the attackers. The guards didn't stand a chance. They were cut down where they were standing. I nearly shrieked as one fell dead at my feet, and I would have had one of the attackers not clamped their hand around my mouth. I struggled, trying to fight him off. In the end I bit down on his fingers, he yelped and jumped back. I spat on the ground, the taste of blood filled my life. I noticed he was bleeding slightly. It was just a small cut, but he was glowering at me.

The first attacker I had seen had already disappeared, along with the boy that was being beaten. There were there were two other men standing in front of me, though. One of them was just out of boyhood, he was around seventeen, just older then me. And the other one. The other one was roughly twenty, dark coal black eyes stared out at me, full of hatred. This man was dangerous, I could tell. But he didn't seem evil. My mother always used to say that the eyes were the window to the soul, and his just didn't have that cruel glint.

"What shall we do with her?" asked the younger one. The dark haired man stared at me, deciding. "She could tell someone what she saw. It's not safe to keep her alive." Maybe, I decided, I was wrong.

Out of no here I heard a voice shouting. I would have turned but I didn't want to turn my back to these two strangers. "Leave her alone!" I heard the voice call. I recognised it immediately. That voice was the voice that used to scare away the nightmares, the one that I felt safe with. It was Jon. Jon Little. One of my dearest friends. He skidded to a halt next to me and looked the strangers up and down. I smiled, Jon was only three years older then me, but much taller and as fierce as a bear.

"Leave her alone." He repeated. But to my surprise the older dark-haired man spoke. "How do you know, Jon? She could betray us. She's a lady, it's in her blood." I looked at him was if he was crazy, no one spoke boldly to Jon like that unless you were either his friend or had a death wish. I was so shocked I almost missed the insult aimed at me. Almost.

"I know because I trust her." Jon replied. This amazed me even more. They knew each other! "She's not like the others, Will." He added sternly. I looked at the tall dark man who seemed to be 'Will'. He grumbled and studied me carefully. The younger man next to him looked thoughtfully, "I say we take her back." Both of them looked down at him in surprise. Especially Will. "Take her back? What the devil are you talking about Allan? We can't take her to our camp." Allan straightened up and gazed defiantly at Will. "We could blindfold her, I think he should judge her. Its the best choice." Will glared at Allan, I got the impression that them two argued, often and loudly.

"I think Allan's right," came a quiet voice behind me. It was Jon. "We should take her back. Rob will know what to do with her." I glanced from his face to the other two. "Where and too whom are you taking me?" I asked hesitantly. Will smiled cruelly before replying. "We're taking you into the forest. To the Outlaws, and to Robin Hood." I gasped despite myself.

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