Part 4
"Excuse me," the manservant said in Arabic to the couple who were dining the following evening. "But you have a visitor at the door. A Robin of Locksley."
"Robin?" Will asked of Djaq who shrugged in response, telling the servant to show the visitor in.
Will and Djaq both stood and waited for the visitor claiming to be their old leader show himself. Robin did and they were shocked at his appearance. He had always looked scruffy, they all had. And although he must have been travelling for months there was an unkempt air about him. Along with the horrific revelation that his eyes were haunted and almost dead, even though he smiled at them genuinely happy to meet with them once more.
They both embraced him, hardly daring to believe that he was here and certainly wondering why.
"You are alone?" asked Djaq, wiping away tears of joy at seeing him once more.
Robin nodded.
"You came all this way for a visit?" asked Will stunned.
Robin shook his head and replied. "I thought I could lay down ghosts and memories to rest. I was wrong."
Will and Djaq shared an uneasy look but it went unnoticed by Robin who was tired and hungry, he eyed the food on the table appreciatively.
"Come and join us," Will told him, patting him on the arm and leading him to the low table, where all three of them sat on large cushions on the floor.
He did not need a second invitation and they spent some time catching up with all that had been happening in Locksley, Nottingham and England since they were there themselves.
"So," Robin finally said. "What abut you both? What has been happening here?"
Again they shared a look and this time Robin did pick up on it, but put it down to deciding who was going to talk first.
"A lot," admitted Djaq shyly, adding with sadness. "Bassam died and now we live here and carry out his work for him."
"We are married," Will said carefully.
"And we have a daughter, she is almost a year." Djaq put in.
Robin smiled happy for them despite his heart plummeting further down to his boots. "What is her name?"
"Saflyya," Will said quietly sharing another sideways glance at his wife.
She sighed and added. "Saflyya Marian."
Robin nodded and looked down finding his plate most interesting. Will decided to change the subject. "How long are you here for? Where are you staying?"
Robin looked back up at them and shrugged. "I do not know."
"If you have no where to stay, they stay here with us." Will invited, and again Djaq shot him an odd look.
He in turn replied with one of his own to Djaq who said to Robin. "You are welcome to stay with us as long as you need to, I will get one of the servants to prepare you a room."