The men lay exhausted in front of the camp fire, too tired to talk or move. They had suffered a long day's march in gruelingheat, some had proven too weak to handle such conditions and now lay in the physician's tent, languishing between life and death. Robin sat next to his faithful friend, who had been wondering what colours the trees in Sherwood would be and whether swallows would have already flown away from the approaching winter. Robin nodded absentmindedly; he had no energy to either stop his friend from talking or to join in with his ponderings. Besides thinking of home, of her, it just hurt too much.

Looking up at the moon and the strange stars above him, Robin began to picture the beautiful English rose that he had left behind. He silently began his daily pleading with the moon above him.

"Please don't let her forget. I know now that I should never have left, but please do not say that I will lose her forever. She is my heart, and I cannot bear this time apart. I was wrong, so very wrong, but please just say I still have a chance to win her back. As you watch over me, you watch over her. Please, please do not let her forget my love for her". Robin continued his silent prayer to the heavens, hoping that she might just hear him in her dreams. He continued to stare at the moon, thinking of her. What would she be doing now, would she be thinking of him? What if she was looking up just at the same time as him? They would be looking at the same moon in the sky, no matter the miles between them, they would still share this link. His heart ripped in chest, and the longing for her became unbearable. He looked down at the sand at his feet and began to play with a small stick on the ground.

"I should have told her before I left" he thought bitterly, as he entwined the stick between his fingers.

"How arrogant to think that I would definitely return to tell her the truth?! I was scared to admit it, even to myself. What if I never get the chance to tell her…to tell her how I feel? That I adore everything about her, that I dream of her and that I love her with all my heart and soul." Robin shook his head violently, snapping the little branch in his hand. No, he thought, no I must live through this if only to tell her that.

He was pulled from his reverie, by the sound of men approaching. Quick with a soldier's reflex, Robin stood up and drew his sword, calling for the men to identify themselves.

"Calm yourself Locksley, it's only us" Lord Arryn's loud, boisterous voice rang out. He chuckled as he and his group of men settled themselves by the fire.

"You should've come with us Locksley," Edmonton cried out "we found ourselves a nice little tavern, with plenty of luscious ladies inside. You could've spent some of the pent up frustration you're suffering from".

Robin scowled at the man across from him, "you know I have no interest in those places, Edmonton. Quite frankly I'm astounded that you do."

Arryn laughed at the expression on his Captain's face. "Ah now, you've never tried it so how would you know? This lass you're holding out for, is she really worth it? I mean, she's never gonna know what you do out here, so what does it matter? Have a little bit of fun; call it practice for when you next see her!"

Robin's face drained at the mention of Marian and a blazing rage began in his heart. He would never dishonour the love they shared (though never spoken of) and he hated any suggestion that he would dare treat his beloved so atrociously.

With a cold, hard stare, Robin turned to Arryn and spoke in a deadly whisper. "Never speak of her in that way again, and never think you can question my loyalty to her."

Arryn, still drunk from the strong ale, merely laughed at his Captain's threat. All the men knew of Locksley's devotion to the girl he left behind. Love-sick fool, he thought and turned to another member of the company.

"Errol my lad, any news from our fair homeland?". At this, all the men around the fire snapped their heads up, looking for the boy. Robin's heart began to pound loudly and he started to feel anxiety in the pit of his stomach.

Errol, a shy lad of fifteen, spoke up in a small voice. "Yes my lord, a couple of messengers from England arrived not long after sundown. They've been telling the servants stories of what has been going on, whilst waiting for their suppers". The men fidgeted nervously as the boy spoke, each holding something close to their heart that they longed to hear after.

Lord Arryn reached across and slapped the boy across the head. "Well don't just sit there boy, tell us what they're saying!".

"Well my Lord," the boy stuttered "there's talk of bad weather all summer long, and it's expected that there will be a poor harvest. The Duke of Norfolk passed away, leaving his estate and position at court to his nephew. Lord Newbury ended the engagement with Lady Catherine, only to marry her daughter which has by all accounts left her quite broken hearted! They say that Lady Elizabeth of Darlington is now Prince John's mistress, and no one has heard from his previous lover in quite some time. Oh, and the Queen Mother has paid a visit to Court in London." The men sighed, their hopes dashed of specific news of their loved ones fared.

"Idiot boy," Lord Arryn barked "is there any news for those around the fire? Any news of how our estates fare, or of our families?"

"Um, well my Lord, there was talk of…Nottingham".

At this Robin's head shot up and stared at the boy. He dared not breathe. No news of his beloved home for two years, he both craved and dreaded what this boy had to say.

"Well, um it concerned…it concerned" Errol's frightened eyes turned towards the Captain. "It concerned the Sheriff's daughter, the Lady Marian". Robin's heart began to beat furiously in his chest, the twisted knot in his stomach becoming tighter and unbearable.

"Well, Simon said that he had passed through Nottingham on his way here and had been acquainted with those who held estates there. He said that he stayed for a night and he had…" the boy's voice trailed off as his eyes grew wide.

"What, what did he say?" Robin whispered urgently at the boy,

"My Lord, he said that he had met the most beautiful lady in all of Christendom. He's telling all the men in the tent that he's in love with her and that he still thinks of her even after all these months. He said that her name was Lady Marian and that she had danced with him".

At hearing her name, Robin gasped. So she was dancing, and laughing and enjoying life no doubt. Who was this unworthy man that she'd allowed the honour of standing with her? A jealous rage settled over Robin, as he thought of her being held by another.

"My Lord, Simon said that he had met her at her nineteenth birthday feast. He said that he had never seen a creature so lovely as her, and all he could talk about was how enchanting her smile was and how her hair shimmered in the candlelight. He sounds quite besotted."

The men eyed each other around the fire; each knowing the uncontrollable jealously their Captain was capable of. Much shifted nervously and spoke into the silence.

"Well, yes Marian was always very pretty wasn't she master? Even though she usually had mud and grass all over her gowns, where you would both traipse off into the forest together. Isn't that so, Master? Master?".

Much looked at Robin, dreading his reaction to this news. Robin stood up silently, his head filled with the vision of when he had danced with that beautiful girl and how time itself had stopped in that moment. He spied the serving tent, where this Simon was talking to anyone about the precious lady he had left behind. He'd soon see to it that he would talk no more of her.