"Give me your cloak and get down!"

"Why should I give you my cloak?"

"Just do as I say, Marian!"

With a little exasperated sigh, Marian removed her cloak and handed it to Robin.

"Get down!" he whispered urgently. After a brief pause, she dropped to the ground.

Robin swiftly threw her cloak over Rainment's head and secured it loosely, to keep the horse quiet. Next, he dropped to the ground beside Marian.

"Look!" he whispered, both of them lying on their bellies, looking at the road below.

Marian's gaze followed the path where his eyes focused.

"A begger!" she whispered. "Robin, did you bring any money? Let's help him!"

"That's no beggar, Marian."

"How do you know? Do you know him?"

"I don't. But how many beggars do you know who wear shoes like those?"

Marian looked at the wanderer's footwear. His shoes certainly appeared to be of the finest quality. "Perhaps someone gave him those shoes," she suggested.

Robin knew better. "Perhaps, but not likely. See those swellings under his cloak? It would appear our beggar's carrying money!" His eyes gleamed with excitement. "Stay hidden."

He rose to his feet as Marian asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Stay hidden," he commanded.

She sighed again. "Robin, am I a part of your gang, or not?"

"You can't be seen with me and that's final, Marian." Altering his tone from one of command to charming invitation, he coaxed, "You just stay here and enjoy the show. I'll be right back." He threw her a wink and disappeared.

Marian tapped her fingers impatiently on the ground, then slapped at an insect that had landed on her neck. Why must she always remain a spectator?

She nearly jumped from her skin, just as the "beggar" did, when Robin dropped from the treetops, directly in the "beggar's" path.

"Welcome to Sherwood!" Robin hailed the "beggar" cheerfully.

The stranger took one look at the outlaw in the hood, then turned and began to run. Robin made chase, caught up with him, and physically forced him to stop. While Marian watched, the beggar turned and flourished his staff at Robin, who deftly ducked the blow.

"Nice try! But seeing as how you're a wealthy man in the disheveled disguise of a poor one," Robin grinned, "I suggest you pay my toll to pass through the forest."

"I'll pay you no toll," the man snarled.

"One tenth of all you carry, if you please," Robin continued, "unless, of course, you want my arrow to pierce your heart."

"You won't shoot. You're a peace lover."

Robin laughter was a mixture of merriment and threat. "Won't I now?" he asked, reaching over his shoulder for an arrow.

After nocking the arrow on his bow, he glanced down for one instant to be certain he had aligned it correctly. It was all the time the beggar needed to strike Robin's bow to the ground with his staff. Quickly Robin reached for his sword, but the beggar was too fast for him. Catching him squarely on the side of his head, he dealt Robin a mighty blow, knocking the dazed outlaw to the ground.

The beggar crouched down beside Robin. Pulling out a dagger, he made as if to strike the outlaw dead, but was surprised when Marian stood and called out, "Stop!"

At that very moment, Will and Djaq appeared through the undergrowth, Will holding his bow with an arrow ready to be fired. The beggar took one look at the three reinforcements and took off running.

"Djaq," Marian cried, "See to Robin! He's hurt! Will, follow me! I want to get that beggar!" She wasn't going to let anyone knock Robin to the ground and get away with it!

Will's long strides soon outpaced her shorter ones, and he caught up to the beggar before she did. By the time she reached them, Will had tackled the beggar and was holding him to the ground, his axe posed above his foe's frightened face.

"Find his dagger," Will urged Marian. "We need to unarm him."

Marian searched the man, while Will continued to straddle him. Not only did she come up with the dagger, she also pulled forth his purse.

"Don't you ever hurt Robin Hood!" she scolded triumphantly.

Will cringed. The youth knew it was unwise for Marian to make Robin's identity certain, and thus ally herself with his gang. Robin would not be at all pleased.

"If you let me go free," the man pleaded, "you may have the contents of my other bags."

"He's got more," Will vouched. "I can feel them under my knees."

"Very well," Marian agreed. "We'll let you up on that condition and one more. Tell us why you're disguised as a beggar."

Will climbed from the man, who then stood and reached under his cloak. Pulling out another pouch, he began opening it.

"I wanted to save myself from being robbed as I journeyed through the forest. That's the one and only reason I disguised myself. My plan, obviously, did not work."

"Obviously," Marian echoed proudly.

Before they knew how it happened, the beggar had pulled great handfuls of flour from his pouch and threw it into their eyes, temporarily blinding them. Retrieving his staff, he dealt both of them several sturdy blows before running away.

...

After the four outlaws returned to a fretting Much and a scowling Little John in camp, Djaq busied herself attending their wounds. Robin remained woozy from a large "goose egg" on his right temple, but Will and Marian had only been struck on their shoulders. Bruises appeared on Marian, but Will's lay hidden under his shirt.

Much cheered up considerably when he noticed the deer Marian had shot, and he set about at once gutting and skinning it. It wasn't long before the smell of roast venison cheered everyone up.

No one answered Much's endless questions concerning their adventure in the forest, until Will remembered the purse Marian had secured.

"Marian, do you still have the man's purse?"

"I do." She hadn't mentioned it, not wanting to have to answer the questions it was sure to prompt from Robin. But his head wound had dulled his senses, making him forget about the danger she had courted. Instead, he was full of praise for her.

"You stole his purse?" he asked. "Nice work!"

Smiling proudly, feeling a part of his gang at last, she brought it to him and emptied its yet unseen contents onto his lap.

"Now do I get to wear an outlaw tag?" she asked.

Robin ignored her question. Something from the purse had stolen his attention.

Amongst the coins, a sealed letter lay on his lap. The seal revealed the shape of a wolf's head.

"What have we got here?" Robin asked, his voice edged with menace.

All of the outlaws recognized the seal as Sir Guy of Gisbourne's wolf head emblem.

...

(Note: This chapter is based on an actual Robin Hood legend. I thought it made a good story, so I borrowed it).