The morning brought no new memories for Robin and by mid-afternoon he was bored to tears stuck in his prone position. The swelling had gone mostly down with the elevation Djag had him do so he took it upon himself to hobble over to the fine to join the other men.

"Here," Much said as he handed him a long bow and arrows. "Allan and I found these when we went looking for you. You are never without these so we figured the sheriff had gotten you."

"Before Marian came," Allan added.

Robin smiled. "Thanks, lads. You saved my pretty neck."

Djaq stood and went to Robin's side, Will moving to allow her room. "If you insist on moving about give me your tunic and your foot."

He shucked his blood caked hood shirt and handed it over warily. "What's on your mind?"

She didn't answer but instead took a knife to the garment to cut strips.

"Hey!" he protested. "What're you doing? I happen to like that shirt!"

"You've plenty more stowed away, I assure you. Give me your foot."

He eyed her and the sharp knife she had in her grip. "I hardly think my ankle is needing such hasty measures."

"Master," the ever-present Much said from Robin's left side, "perhaps Djaq is merely trying to clothe your foot to protect from the forest."

Sighing, Robin shifted and raised his leg to place on Djaq's lap. He watched as she used the shredded shirt to wrap his foot and ankle before covering it up with the detached hood. It was held up by a cord of rope making an efficient boot of some sort. He was impressed. "Suppose you've done such a thing a time or two," he said as he tested it against the ground.

"You might say that," she answered back before standing. "Are you ready?"

Robin threw a twig into the fire before turning his head to look up at her. "And where are we going exactly?"

Djaq frowned slightly at him. "To see Marian, of course. You told me yesterday you needed to see her and you asked me to come along as lookout."

Robin raised an eyebrow into his longish hair but stood without a word. Much stood as well. "Where do you think you're going? he asked the man.

Much faltered and looked at Robin with his expressive eyes. "I, uh, well...you might need backup."

He raised the other brow. "I hardly think Lady Marian is more than I can handle, Much."

Much flushed. "I meant in case Gisbourne comes sniffing around looking for vengeance against as escaped outlaw."

Robin placed his hands on Much's thin shoulders and smiled. "All the more reason for you to stay here. I'm the one he's after, not you."

"But...you do not wish for me to come along," Much asked, his hurt apparent.

Robin gently squeezed his shoulders. "I am seeing a lady. I shall cherish the alone time."

Much pouted. "Djaq goes with you."

"I think Djaq wishes to discuss girly thing like ribbons and what not. Do not worry, Much! You'll grow old before your time."

He pouted. "I've done that already, Master Robin."

Robin gave him a smile before releasing him and hobbling to where Djaq stood with two horses, warily of his foot. He was quiet through the entirety of the trip through the forest to the hall containing Marian.

"Djaq," he said, finally they approached the home.

"Sh," she warned him at the edge of the trees. "Stay here. I shall get Marian."

He watched with amusement as she lobbed several procured stones towards a window until a familiar dark head poked out. Djaq gestured to where Robin sat upon his horse and then Marian nodded once before ducking back inside a moment.

When the two women made it back to him and the horses he clapped his hands and smiled. "Bravo, ladies. Conspiracies and intrigues abound."

Marian frowned up him and tugged on his nearest pants leg. "Hush, Robin! Let's go by the stream. We can talk safely there."

Perplexed, he allowed his horse to be led by the bossy woman a small ways until they came across a body of water he would loosely label a brook. Refusing help, he slid down on his good foot, using the horse as a manner of balance before choosing a flat mossy rock to park himself next to the clear water.

Being female didn't stop Marian from crawling right beside him, paying no mind to the state of her dress. As he shucked his boot she gestured to his injured foot. "Interesting wrappings."

"Do not get me started," he said as he glowered at Djaq.

For her part his healer wasn't bothered as she tied up the horses. "The cool water should help the swelling."

"I know," he told her like a moody child.

Marian's deft fingers beat his blunt ones and unties his wrapped foot. "Djaq tell me you have no memory."

"I have memory enough. It just does not stretch further than the jail.'

Marian glared into his eyes furiously. "This is no game, Robin! Lives are at stake and people depend upon you. If you can't remember your goal or talk to the wrong person then those people will most certainly DIE."

He raised an eyebrow. "I've a fair idea I shouldn't be talking to right now."

"Robin!"

He grabbed her wrists to hold her still. "'Tis no game, Marian. And I may not remember much but you don't strike me as a hysterical type so hold yourself in check and help me figure this out."

Her face was close to his as she studied his features. "Kiss me."

He was startled. "Excuse me?"

She pulled herself back to rid herself of her shoes as well. "That settles it, Djaq. He's not Robin."

"I told you," the Saracen stated as she crossed the narrow brook to sit across from them.

"I think I just missed something."

Marian gave him a leveled look. "Since we were children you've been trying to kiss me, Robin."

He gave her a boyish grin. "Was I ever successful?"

"Once," she said, briskly. "Here by the water." She studied her feet in the cold liquid. "You brought me here to tell me you were going to war. I kissed you because I thought I would never see you again."

"I didn't warrant a kiss when I returned in one piece?" he asked, teasingly.

She shot him a glare. "You came back, alright, and started a personal war against the Sheriff. You deserve a slap in the face."

Robin shrugged. "I'm sure I had good reasonings."

"Good reasonings but bad actions. All your life you've been nothing but a spoiled boy wanting all the attention. With your lands and titles you could have done so much under the cover. Instead you blatantly rob the Sheriff's coffers and then stick your tongue out at him."

He thought about what she was saying. "To hear you speak there are others who fight with me but under a cover."

Marian nodded. "There are many who oppose the tyranny of the Sheriff and Prince John. And they help whenever they can."

Robin frowned slightly. "Sounds to me as if they value their heads above the rights of others."

Djaq's laughter broke into their heated debate. "Even addled the same argument is spoken. You are too much different yet very much the same."

Marian's eyebrows arched. "I think I am insulted."

"And I think," added Robin, "that you are too biased to give a representation of who I am."

Marian squared back her shoulders and met his gaze evenly. "You are Robin Hood. You take money from those who need it the least and give it to the ones who need it most."

"And I have a group of men who follow my orders simply because of that reasoning?"

One corner of her mouth tugged up. "You can be very persuasive when you want to be."

The hot sun beating through the trees, the cold water numbing feet, the gentle breeze pulling hair, the drone of insects around the three made Robin lose interest in the conversation floating around him. He leaned back and laid on the rock, hands behind his head to protect his already sore skull. Soon he was in the grips of sleep. The voices of the women broke though every so often.

"I'm not sure he should sleep," Djaq sounded.

Marian's answer seemed far away and hours later. "He looks truly exhausted."

Once again he was in a tent, pitch dark but the heat was still overwhelming. Despite that, the king wanted a fire every night. Robin had been the only one to argue.

"King Richard, 'tis suicide to let the Saracens know where you camp at night."

The Lionheart just laughed and slapped a hand to Robin's back. "Dearest Robert, let me give you a tactical lesson. With the fire lit, the enemy will be less likely to attack for two reasons. One is the obvious one- they won't want to attack in the light where all the English soldiers can see them. The other is that they are scared at our brazen ways- unsure, like yourself, why there is flame."

Robin frowned. "It's too bloody hot to have a fire in the damn desert."

That night the attack Robin predicted came without warning. The light from the fire became a hindrance to the English as they struggled to tell friend from foe. Robin felt a blade slice his side and prayed he would survive long enough to save Richard. And Much. Poor unassuming, ever loyal Much who was a victim of the Crusades by the sheer boyhood dreams of his master.

When Robin shifted in his sleep and mumbled, Marian instinctively pressed his rough dirty hand in hers. No matter how old they got she still couldn't fight the urge to protect him. She found it quite ironic that the more aggressively he fought others regardless of himself the more she wanted him to keep hidden, safely away. But she would never admit it to his or any other.

Djaq saw more than she let on and smiled at the two before suddenly frowning. "Marian, I do not care for his color."

Marian looked down at the sleeping man to find his skin pale and sweaty. "Robin?" she asked as she shifted and brought her hand to his face. Feeling him she gasped. "Djaq! He's burning to the touch."

Djaq immediately jumped in the water to reach them the quickest, not caring that she was wet from the waist down. "A fever then. This is not good."

Marian looked at the smaller woman decisively. "Help me get him up. We must get him to my place."

Djaq stared at her. "I don't think that is such a wise idea."

Marian was too busy devising a way to move Robin to worry about the Saracen's looks. "He doesn't need fresh air and hard dirt, he needs a roof and a decent bed to heal."

"You do not need Gisbourne to find a most famous outlaw hiding in your sheets."

She finally turned to glare at Djaq. "The effort you spend arguing with me could have better use helping me help Robin. Either way we go he can not stay here and he will be safe enough at my home until you can fetch the others."

Djaq finally nodded and patted his cheek hard. "Robin, can you hear us? It would be most helpful if you could walk."

His forest colored eyes opened and looked out of focus at her before saying something guttural before his eyes rolled back into his head.

"What did he say?" Marian asked as she placed her hand on his wet calf to rewrap his ankle.

"'The wind guides my feet though I can not stand'," Djaq answered. "It is a proverb of my people. Let us get him upright. Perhaps he will lighten the load."

It was a struggle but the women managed to get Robin upward and began the slow process of picking the best route through the dense forest floor. Though Robin was not the tallest man nor the brawniest, he certainly was heavier than he appeared to be. Especially as dead weight.

Marian's father opened the front door just as the trio approached. "What on earth?"

"Father! Robin has fallen delusional. I believe he has a fever that must be broken."

He frowned slightly. "But, Marian, think about this and the repercussions of your actions. What if he is caught here?"

She and Djaq stopped at the foot of the stairs and she turned her head to address him. "I'll not leave him to DIE."

Djaq spoke up. "It's just until I can gather the rest of the men."

Robin slumped slightly in their arms. "Hurry," Marian urged and they fought valiantly to get their load up the endless stairway.