I do not own Robin Hood

Chapter Two: The Returning Son and Foretold Death

Nottingham was jerked from his memory by a knock on the door.

"Enter." He said. The door opened to reveal a woman. Nottingham forced a reassuring smile on his face as he looked at the whore. She was a new face and Nottingham briefly wondered when she had arrived at the castle. They had probably thought he needed someone new because he has refused the last few women sent to him. Truthfully, he would rather not. These women didn't mean anything to him. As far as he was concerned he was doing them a favor. He didn't mind them living in the castle, they were taken care of and off the streets to be harmed by others. But why did he have to do more? Mortianna had been angry with him when he started refusing services and told him he had an image to maintain and that he needed to do his part. He had tried to get away with them just visiting and not providing their services, but Mortianna had found out anyway. So he did his best to hide his distaste and went about business. He had not gotten far when the door to his chamber burst open, and his cousin storming in. Nottingham looked at Guy annoyed. He wanted to do what he had to with the girl and have her leave. Interruptions would make that last longer.

"Cousin. I trust you justify your intrusion with news of profound value?" Guy looked at him, he could see the anger running through him.

"I met a hooded man today who bade me warn you not to harm his people." The Sheriff looked away from Guy to the girl next to him. Embarrassed at the entrance of another man, she had been pulling her clothes back over herself. Thinking that Guy might leave faster if he knew Nottingham was busy, he yelled at her not to. He felt bad right away, but he had to deal with whatever problem his cousin had now gotten himself into.

"His name?" He watched as Guy swallowed.

"Robin of Locksley." Nottingham gave a small laugh at the name, while he secretly wanted to throw things about. He did not like Locksley, true, but that didn't stop a small feeling of guilt that welled up inside him. Four months previous, Lord Locksley had been accused of witchcraft and found guilty. He had been there himself while Guy and his men captured and killed him, leaving him in the ruins of his manor. Nottingham did not believe that the accusations could be true, Locksley had always been for God, King and Country. He had a feeling that somehow Mortianna had deposited a large sum of money into the Bishop's pocket to agree that the Lord had indeed been sinning after Guy had come to them with the pronouncement that Locksely had been a devil worshiper.

"The prodigal son returns." He said bitterly.

"He bested four of my men."

"Yes and how drunk were your men?" He felt agitated. The guilty feeling would not go away and he just wanted Guy to leave to he could finish with the girl. "And yet you survived Cousin." Guy looked affronted.

"I barely survived." Nottingham rolled his eyes at his indignation. Guy kept talking. "He has a companion, a dark skinned foreigner with a marked face of Islam and a Saracens sword." Nottingham was getting more annoyed. He wished again that Guy would leave so he could then send the girl off as well.

"I trust Locksley has visited his manor and found the home fire still burning." He laughed again, but inside he felt another pang of guilt. Guy went on a bit more about Locksley's attack on him and his men. Nottingham was hardly listening. Tired of his cousin's babbling, he started to think of how to get rid of him when a small bell on the wall rang. He looked up at it and gave a small smile. "Time for portents cousin!" He got up, and feeling worse by the moment, pushed the whore towards Guy. "Have yourself a treat after such a hard day." He said, and left his room to go to the basement of his home.

He walked down the many stairs wondering what on earth the old hag wanted now. He was glad to be out of Guys company, but still, her company wasn't much better. He opened the door and called in.

"Mortianna?" He cringed as he walked along the wooden planks that formed a walkway though the swamp she had created, kicking rats off as he went. He suddenly heard her lurking in the fog. He replaced his look of disgust into one filled with charm. "You called madam?" He said with curiosity. She just looked at him, then turned away to pick up a large metal plate on the ground. She moved it over on the stone floor and sat down in front of it, chasing away the frogs and other creatures that were near. Nottingham stood behind her as she took one of her long, disgusting nails and opened an egg over the plate. Out poured a red liquid that he felt was most likely blood. She tossed the shell away and pulled out her runes, dropping them into the liquid.

"What do you see?" He asked as she picked up the plate and moved in this way and that, getting a good look at the runes.

"The son of a dead man. He precedes the Lionheart." She said Nottingham growled and bowed his head in annoyance, cursing Locksley's name.

"King Richard returning would not go well. Will it affect your…my plan?" He asked. It was her plan really, but he needed to take the place she had set up for him. She continued to look at the runes till she suddenly threw them away and started cursing about something.

"What is it? What is wrong?" He asked in earnest.

"The painted man! He will be our death!" Mortianna grabbed him and pulled him into a desperate hug. Nottingham tried to not flinch at her touch and held her too him, trying to comfort her and think about what Guy had said about Locksley's companion.

"Kill them!" She shrieked, "Kill them both!" She sobbed into him. He shuddered as she touched him, but he did his best as he rubbed the back of the closest thing he had ever known as a mother. He started to think of a strategy. He decided to send Guy out for news. Perhaps Guy would find him and capture him. He needed to stop Locksley before it was too late.

Author's Note: This is all that I have written at the moment, but I am working on new chapters. I know I said this before, but my life has gone back in forth with ups and downs lately. I know it is not a good excuse, but it is the truth. I really thinks things are gonna calm down now though, so hopefully within the next month there will be a new chapter. Thanks and please review.