**Disclaimer: I only own Clara and Victoria! Sorry this chapter is so short, I'm thinking about just writing one episode per chapter instead of doing Part I and Part II. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Review please and tell me what you think! There will be a little bit more about Clara's past in the next one! Thank you to all my followers and everyone who has reviewed so far! I love all my fans!**

Sherif Got Your Tongue? Part II

We walked single file down the small path along the castle wall towards the soft barking and whimpering sounds. Allan was in the lead followed by me and then John, Roy, the other outlaws, whose names were David and Jack, and Will bringing up the rear. Allan reached the dog and started scratching it fondly while I looked up at a sleeping Much on the ladder.

"There's a good boy." I smiled as Allan talked to the dog. He looked up at Much who was just starting to wake. "Need some help?" He asked, grinning. The rest of the outlaws came to a stop beside us.

"Yeah, I was-uh-I was just-uh-just checking up there, and," Much began stammering as Little John started lifting the ladder. "Uh, yes, as I thought the ladder is completely useless." Much continued as Roy helped John place the ladder over his shoulders. I looked at Much with one eyebrow arched.

"Well, come on then." John was getting impatient. Much looked from him to me and to the ladder in disbelief. I rolled my eyes, fixing my shirt slightly.

"Ladies first then." I spoke, glancing at Will. "Can you give me a lift?" He put his hands together and I placed my boot in them, careful not to catch the edge on his hands.

"One, two, three." Will spoke in his quiet voice. On three, he straightened his knees and I pushed off the ground, grabbing the ladder and swinging myself around, making sure not to hit John. As soon as I was steady, I began to climb swiftly upwards. Grabbing the edge of the wall, I pulled myself over and onto the soft patch of grass on the other side. Much landed with a thud next to me and I laughed softly at his lack of balance as I helped him up. Allan, David, and Jack were much better, each landed quietly on the ground and moving out of the way of the next. Will landed a bit awkwardly, causing me to reach out and steady him. He threw me a grateful glance which I returned with a small smile. I couldn't help but smile. It was so good to get back to sneaking around in the early morning hours. Being on the wrong side of the law certainly had its appealing qualities.

As soon as everyone was over, we crept towards the castle. We made it to the hanging platform but Roy and John stopped. I looked at them and in a split second, I understood. Bloody cowards. I walked over to the door to find it unlocked. It squeaked ever so slightly as I opened it, making me tense up.

"Wait, what are you doing? He's right in there." Much said while Will, Allan and I shared a knowing look.

"There not coming." I told Much.

"Not coming?" He finally got it and looked at them incredulously. "Much, come on, we haven't much time." I shifted my weight impatiently, glancing around.

"She's right, mate. We're not doing Robin any good standing out here." Allan agreed ducking into the door as Will and I followed with Much in tow.

We saw the jailer making his way to a door and the a grunt could be heard from inside. Much crept up behind the jailer and hit him over the head with his club. I had my two swords drawn and my eyes darted around the room, taking in everything and marking escape routes.

"This is a rescue." Much whispered to who I assumed was Robin. "And, we're undetected." No sooner had he spoke then there came cries that could only be from guards. Robin led us out back out the door and to the hanging platform where John and his men were waiting.

"Thank you for coming," Said Robin, ever the diplomat.

"Let's go," Roy said hurriedly, "Before they see we've opened the gates."

"Hang on." Robin held out his hand to stop me from descending the steps. I looked at him questioningly. "Hold an escape route for me, I need five minutes. There's something I must do before I can go with you."

"What?" Allan was nervous and he kept glancing around to see what everyone else thought.

"If I'm longer than that then leave without me." Robin ordered.

"Yes." John spoke.

"Thank you."

"What? No." I said looking at Robin. "Robin-" I started warningly, stopping him.

"Clara, please. Just trust me." I studied him for a second.

"You've got five minutes." I snapped and he grinned and turned to talk to Much. The men all looked at me and I looked back determinedly. "You heard him! Hold the escape route." I spun my swords in my hands. "Arm yourselves and prepare to fight for your lives." I stated bluntly.

"You, I need help." I turned to see Robin looking at Roy. "It is dangerous." Roy contemplated for a second.

"Yes." He stated simply, rushing off towards the supplies behind Robin.

"Why him when you love me?" I heard Much mutter. "Why not me?"

"Jealous, Much?" I asked him, grinning as he shot me a look. They fit a knot of rope around an arrow and I frowned as I began to get an inkling as to what Robin's plan was. I spun around as the doors to the castle opened.

"Here they come!" I announced as I readied my swords and the guards drew theirs. Steel clashed on steel as the guards met the outlaws. Mine came at me from the right with his sword swinging in a high arch. I skillfully blocked the blow with one sword while attacking his side with the second one. He managed to get his shield in the way just in time. Of course, it didn't really make much of a difference seeing as my knee came up and kicked him in the stomach. Hard. He doubled over with a gasp and I bashed the hilt of my right sword into the side of his head, causing him to crumple to the floor and remain there. I tried to get a glance at Robin as the next one came at me. I was momentarily distracted by blocking a jab to my ribs and following up with a slice to the man's side that made him cry out in pain. I glanced around quickly as a third and fourth guard ran toward me.

David was fighting a guard by the hanging stand and clearly winning judging from the punch he had just given. Allan was busy with three guards on the steps while Much fought off two next to David. I blocked an attack to my face while attempting to stab the other in the neck. He blocked the blow with his shield as Three reeled back for another strike. I kicked him in the chest, driving my boot edge into his ribcage and making his face screw up with pain as he crumpled. I ducked another blow to my head leaving Four momentarily unbalanced. I took advantage and jabbed the hilt of my left sword into his throat, cutting off his air supply leaving him in a gasping heap on the ground.

The guards were thinning which was always a good sign. John was only fighting one soldier now and beside him was Much with a soldier of his own. Jack was attempting some kind of karate kick on the guard's stomach seeing as he had lost his weapon. I scanned the crowd for Allan or Will but my view was blocked by two more uglies coming at me. I rolled my eyes: Don't they ever learn? Evading a stab aimed at my shoulder I stepped around the fifth soldier, sweeping his feet out from under him. As he tumbled to the ground I blocked a blow to my ribs and kicked the guard's shin, digging in the toe of my boot. I saw the guard grind his teeth in pain and I took advantage of his momentary weakness to slam the hilt of my sword into his nose, breaking it and causing him to flee.

I finally caught sight of Allan and Will holding their own against some guards in the far right corner of the courtyard. I breathed a small sigh of relief. Will wasn't very well trained in fighting and the like so I was a bit worried about him to be honest. The sigh caught in my throat as the guard knocked the sword out of Allan's hand and grabbed his throat. Without hesitation, I flicked my wrist and just like that one of my swords embedded itself into the guard's back. Allan caught my eye and I grinned at him, ducking a blow aimed at my head and switching my left sword into my right hand as I started making my way over to the fallen guard to retrieve my sword. Allan had already wrenched it out of the dead man and he tossed it to me. I caught it and sent him a grin.

"Thought you could use some help." I teased as we fought back to back, stabbing and slashing.

"Thanks." He said shortly as if he couldn't believe I was talking to him during a battle. "Even though you were a little late." He added and I grinned. He spun me around to block a slash and I kicked the guard who had his sword at my throat. I kicked the sword out of his hand and bashed both my fists into his face.

"Better late than never my dad always said." I told him smiling a little at the memory that it brought up. I heard Allan hiss in pain and spun us around, using the momentum to bring extra strength to the blow I landed on the guard's head.

"If I die, I'm blaming you for distracting me." Allan told me and I couldn't help but grin wider.

"So you find me distracting?" I laughed as he didn't respond and twirled away from him, causing a guard to get his sword stuck in the wood of the hanging platform. I kicked him in the throat to decommission him.

"Stop!" I looked up and my blood boiled as I saw the Sherif at one of the windows of the castle. "Do not harm those men they're free to go." My eyebrows shot up. Robin's plan worked. There's a surprise. "I have an announcement to make. I, Vaisley, Sherif of Nottingham, in recognition of my illegal actions yesterday in Locksley, do humbly apologize to the innocent people who have suffered at my hands. I promise to pay - " His eyes widened briefly. "No." He growled and started muttering to someone out of sight, presumably Robin who was probably holding a bow and arrow aimed at his face. He left for a brief second before yelling something. I slowly started backing towards the gate. "Guards!" He screamed. "Stop those men!" We started fighting again, and I heard Robin shouting. I looked up to see him on top of the wall of the tower.

"What's he doing?" Allan asked in disbelief.

"Something stupid." I answered, grinning. "Cover me." I yelled to Allan and Will and I got a nod from Will. I sheathed my blades.

"What're you doing?" Allan asked, grabbing my wrist and spinning me around to face him.

"Something stupid." I answered, grinning at him and he reluctantly grinned back, letting go of my wrist. "Robin!" I yelled up to him.

"Tie this off!" He yelled down at me. "Get Much!" He added as he threw the rope to me. I grabbed it and rushed to the platform before realizing it was too loose. "Where?" I yelled.

"Here!" I spun around to see John behind me throwing his stick to the ground. I rushed over to him and handed him the rope, drawing my blades.

"You, defend me." He ordered and I nodded.

"On it." I said as I kneed a guard in the groin.

"Yes!" John cried as Robin grinned and started zip lining down the rope with his bow. He landed with a thud just as I finished off another guard. I stood between Allan and Will, which was quickly becoming my place amongst the outlaws. We all stood in a line in front of the open gates.

"Ready?" Robin asked. I just grinned and readjusted my grip on my twin swords. "Go!" We all ran out except for Robin, who stayed behind battling. We stopped running when we realized he wasn't with us. I watched him take down guard after guard and finally hit the rope to the gate with his sword. As it shut he rolled under it and gave a satisfied smile to the guards on the opposite side. We ran off back towards the woods.

"Is that her?" John asked as we all hid from a girl by a farmhouse. "She's your wife?" David nodded and gazed at her longingly. I smiled at the both of them. She wiped some sweat off her brow as she finished raking. "What does she see in you?" He asked and I hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Look, she's seen it." He said and we all quieted to see what she'd say. The girl looked around and frowned, as if thinking someone may have dropped it by accident.

"That's good." David said, smiling as the girl opened the money back and gasped softly.

"Yea." I agreed, smiling.

"You know, I myself have no family at all, of course." Much said when we were back in Sherwood Forest. I watched the pigs roast over the fire, thinking about my own messed up family. "No family, no wife, children. Strangely it doesn't bother me. No. Not at all. Not at all." Much repeated as if he was trying to convince himself. It did bother him. That much was obvious. I looked up to find Little John looking at Much and then his eyes flicked around the group. He picked up the stick with the two pigs on it and began eating.

"Excuse me! I think you'll find that's not properly cooked!" I laughed along with the rest of the outlaws, dispelling memories of my past with a shake of my head. I had a new family now. I was an outlaw.