The next morning, Robin awoke Marian and Ember rather early, so they could get home sooner. It was a very cool morning, and thick fog covered Sherwood. Ember had fallen asleep next to Marian, he head on Marian's shoulder, in a tree hut. She was very surprised when Robin explained that they would not be leaving by horse. He led them down toward the riverbank, where a boat was waiting.
"Bull and Azeem will row you ladies home," Robin explained. "And I will be sure to bring your horses back in a few days." He turned to Marian. "Before you leave, I have two things to ask of you."
Marian sighed happily. "One...," she began.
"Take Duncan with you. He's old and I fear for his safety. And I tire of his bellyaching," Robin said loudly toward Duncan.
Duncan, the sweet, old, blind man stepped up to Robin as best as he could. "You wish me to leave, Master Robin?" he asked.
"Old friend, listen to me. Can you take Lady Marian safely home? I fear for her safety," Robin said, trying him to persuade to go easily without a fight. Marian just stood, smiling.
"Of course, sire," Duncan replied.
Ember helped Duncan into the boat, and she turned her gaze toward Robin and Marian. She admired the way they looked at one another. She watched with weary eyes, but, a big interest.
"And two?" Marian asked.
Robin sighed. "You're King Richard's cousin. You could write to him, and tell him of Nottingham's plan, he would believe you."
Marian's smile was gone in an instant. "If the Sheriff found out, I could loose all that I have," she explained. She looked over at Ember for a quick glance.
"I know. But, would you do it for your King?" Robin asked.
Marian smiled beautifully again. "No," she looked at Ember, then, back to Robin. "I'll do it for you."
And with that, she dove forward, beginning to kiss Robin. From the boat, Ember gasped loudly. Marian quickly withdrew, and climbed into the boat. Robin watched, a bit saddened from the shore as the boat disappeared into the fog.
Duncan turned to Marian, although he couldn't see, he could sense where in the boat she was. "He fancies you, milady. I am blind but, some things I can still see," he explained.
Later that night, Marian and Ember sat alone in Marian's small bedchamber. She and Ember had been visiting but, Ember fell asleep in Marian's bed, and Marian decided to leave her there. Marian had penned a scroll to the King, and sent it off with her lady-in-waiting, Ethna. Ethna was now en route to France on a sorrel mare, alongside an emissary of the Bishop. Ember offered to go with her but, Marian refused that, pleading she was too young. Marian sat in a chair, enjoying some recreational embroidering.
Somewhere in the manor, a piece of glass broke. Marian grabbed her knife in one hand, candelabrum in the other. She smoothly made her way into her dinning area.
"Duncan, is that you?"
Silence split the night.
"Hello."
No answer. Perhaps it was nothing.
"Rebecca?"
As soon as she called for her nursemaid, who wasn't around, Marian's black feline, Nicodeamus, launched himself off of a rafter and into her path. He hissed loudly, and fled the scene.
"Oh, Nicodeamus," Marian gasped. "Go, find mice."
Just then, a figure in the corner, grabbed Marian. She dropped the candelabrum, and it went out. The figure bent Marian over the table on her back. He was an ugly man, dressed in Nottingham armor.
"I've never seen the breasts of a noblewoman," the man spat.
Luckily, a bowl of pepper was in her grasp. She reached over her head, and managed to grab a handful. She thrust it into the man's face, and he screamed. As Marian escaped his clutches, she grabbed her fire poker from the fire, it was still hot. She burned the man in the chest.
"Someone wants a word with you," another man in the corner spat.
So the Nottingham soldiers dragged a screaming Marian from her home. No matter how loud or hard she screamed, not even Ember heard her.
About twenty minutes later, Ember awoke to the peace and quite. She rubbed her eyes and scanned her surroundings. The fire in the mantle was still aflame, and Marian was nowhere in sight. Deciding this was rather peculiar, she climbed out of bed, and made her way into the sitting room. She could've sworn she heard a commotion coming from the dinning area earlier but, she took nothing of it. When she reached the dinning area, after checking the whole manor, she knew something was wrong. Neither Marian nor Rebecca was anywhere in sight. As she neared toward the main entrance, she found Marian's knife, and a put out candelabrum.
She picked up the knife and examined it, no blood. She gasped and dropped the knife, which hit the floor with a pinging sound, when she saw that the main door was wide open.
She quickly bolted outside. What her eyes were laid upon then was horrifying. All of the small huts were aflame, and the inhabitants were missing. Horses nearby whinnied. By the looks of things, someone evil had been here. There was a shield near her feet. She picked it up, and examined it in the light of the burning huts. The shield was silver, with a black beast on it. When she saw this, only one name crossed her tongue.
"Nottingham."