For Maple - Merry Christmas, sorry it's sad!
Someone To Listen
'What was she like?'
Robin Hood wasn't sure how he got here. He didn't know where he was, which was a shock because he knew Sherwood Forest like the back of his hand, but he didn't recognise this place. Or maybe it was just that he couldn't remember it, he wasn't taking much notice of where he was after all. He wasn't take much notice of anything, except his thoughts. He could barely even remember anything about this girl he was talking to. Her name was Maple, she appeared to be a couple of years younger than him, and she was just listening to him, even when he didn't have much to say.
'Marian?' he replied. 'she was...' Robin looked around him without even being away that he was doing so 'Marian was the voice of England. She fought for what was right for this country in silence for a lot longer than I have. She was...' Robin paused as though he was looking for a word to sum up Marian, when he finally found one he didn't think it was good enough, but it was the only one he could think of 'beautiful. She was so beautiful in every single way.'
Maple smiled sadly at him. He looked so lost, so broken, she just wanted to hold him close and tell him he'd be all right. She couldn't do that though, she could tell just by looking at him that he wanted to talk. He wanted to say all he needed to say and she was going to give him that chance.
'When she died it felt like a piece of me died with her' Robin continued, he wasn't looking at Maple when he spoke, he wasn't really looking at anything. 'I can still remember seeing her lying there. Pain filling up her beautiful face, all I wanted to do was just take all the pain away but there was no way I could. There was nothing I could do to save her. All I could do was stay with her as she died.
Guy of Gisbourne' pure hatred filled Robin's voice as he said that name. Sarcasm rose as he continued 'He... he said he loved her' He laughed bitterly 'He said he loved her. He doesn't know the meaning of the word. You don't kill someone you love, you don't.' His voice got quieter, almost as if once again he couldn't believe what Guy had done. 'You just don't. If you love someone... you want them to be happy. You don't kill them.' Anger rose again 'And I swear, I will not stop, I will not rest until he pays for what he did to Marian. I will not let him get away with it. And I will not let her death be in vain'
He paused and for the first time he aimed his words directly at Maple, rather than seeming to be talking to the woodland. 'Oh Maple, she was amazing. She had beautiful, soft brown hair and the loveliest of smiles. She could look so innocent despite going against the sheriff so often and despite being an outlaw. She didn't care about what people in Nottingham thought. It was one of the things that made her so special, she did what she believed to be right, not what people said was right. No matter what the situation she stood by her beliefs. She was so strong and in the end it killed her' he laughed homorously 'She mocked him, Guy. Right before he killed her she told him... she literally stared him in the face, laughing and told him she loved me.' Robin repeated that last bit 'She loved me. That was the most amazing thing of all, she was this beautiful, king strong girl and she loved me'
It came as no surprise to Maple that someone like Marian would love Robin. She had heard the stories, she knew what he did, and now just from listening she could tell how unconditionally he loved her. It broke her heart knowing that she was torn away from him because of jealousy.
'I'll not stop fighting' Robin said and Maple had never heard such determination in anyone's voice. 'Nothing will change in the way I act. I'll still do what's right by England's poor. They still deserve help. The only thing that will be different is that this time I'll be fighting for two things; what's right; and revenge'
Maple realised something as Robin said this. He loved deeply and he hated just as deeply. And she seriously would not like to be Guy of Gisborne anytime soon.