Four

A Love Like Marian's

I was a foolish young man, but I was so sure of myself. I grew bitter from Robin and Marian's love. Although she returned to Nottingham, her home, and Robin grew gloomy with her passing only to be bright as the sun the next day. I had never seen someone with such strange emotions.

"Is it not a grand day, my merry man?" Robin asked, yanking my shoulders in to be locked against him by his arm. "The sun shines, the birds sing, and I am truly in love with the most beautiful maiden I have ever cast my eyes on!"

"It's too early to be so happy." I grumbled.

"So I thought." Robin let me go, racing in front of me, his green clothes blending into the foliage, his blue eyes alight. "Let us have another feast! That will bring your spirits up!"

"Oh Rob."

"Uncle Robin!" A voice called and Robin turned to see Roana running toward him.

"Roana!" He called back, lifting her up and twirling her around, then planting a kiss on her cheek.

"Are you in love, Uncle Robin?" Roana asked, still in his arms.

"Roana!" Isobel and I scolded together.

Robin only laughed and kissed Roana again. "Only with you, my lovely."

Suddenly Will Stutely appeared, slapping Robin on the shoulder, a gleam in his eyes. "A caravan comes through the forest." Will said. "Shall we go a-hunting?"

Robin lived for the hunt—to terrorize the rich that had so cruelly turned against his family and mine. "I propose that the last man there must fight standing on his hands." Robin called.

All of the men cheered, but we all knew that Robin would make the last man there fight on his hands. My uncle was a strange, but good hearted man, and we all loved him dearly. Much followed my lead through the forest, a shortcut to the sound of bells and horse's plunder against the ground.

Without warning, Robin appeared. "Hark!" Robin cried suddenly, cupping his hand over his ear, his eyes glowing. "Do you hear that, men? Music! Wonderful music! The gypsies have come!"

"The gypsies?" I asked, and then sighed. We would not get a full nights sleep for a whole fortnight with the gypsies here.

Much rushed ahead of me, with Robin and the others. The jingling of bells, the pounding of drums, and the odd fluting sounds burst into the Sherwood Forest, making the trees dance and the leaves rattle. When I reached the gypsies, they had already stopped, greeting Robin Hood with laughter and that's when I saw her. Delilah.

Only last year young Delilah had been a girl, but now she had filled out her gypsy skirts and blouse, with red lipstick to cover her lips, and dark make-up around her eyes. Once, we had been friends, when girls and boys mean nothing to each other, but now everything was different. I was a man and she, yes she was certainly a woman.

"Will Scarlet!"

I jumped when she called my name, thinking she may not have recognized me, and I removed my hat in her presence when she ran to me. "Milady." I said kindly, bending forward to bow.

With a laugh, Delilah took my hat and then embraced me like the old friends we were. "Since when did you start calling me 'milady'?"

Delilah was well spoken, her dark eyes alight with curiosity and knowledge. I found that we were no longer different, but the same friends we had always been. "Since when did your lips become so red?" I teased back, as she placed my red hat on her head. I regarded her, in red, the contrast to her tanned, but soft skin and I smiled. "You look well in it."

"Better than you, I assume." Delilah laughed. "Still brandishing swords and stealing from the wealthy, giving to the starving?"

"As always."

"Good," Delilah smiled, taking my hands in hers, "at least some things will never change, Will Scarlet."

"The lovely Delilah." Will Stutely appeared now, his eyes on the woman before me. "I hardly recognized you. Have you brought us fruits in your blouse?"

Stutely was crude at times, but he meant nothing by it. At least I didn't believe he did. Delilah only glared at Stutely, who had hardly acknowledged her before her new assets. "I despise you, Will Stutely," Delilah shot back, "you and your pretty face."

"Quite a stinger on your lady bee, Scarlet." Will smirked, trotting off to the other ladies of the caravan.

"Don't be so harsh on him," I insisted, "he doesn't know any better."

"Unfortunately he doesn't." Delilah retorted, crossing her arms. "Why didn't you defend me?"

I was taken aback. "What?"

"After all the times I stuck up for you—remember when Robin nearly beat your brains out in that silly challenge you agreed to?" Delilah remembered everything. "I saved your bloody life and all you do is stand there and laugh when that brute insults me. Your backbone is still all rubber. Some outlaw you are, Will Scarlet."

I stared after Delilah, who sauntered off in a fierce new mood. She had changed. I wanted to apologize to her, but I hadn't gotten the time. Instead, while on the hunt, I attacked Will Stutely for his comments.

"Mind your own business, Scarlet." Will snarled.

"It was rude and inconsiderate." I shot back, in a whisper. "You owe her an apology."

"Apology?" Will scoffed. "To that wench?"

My blood boiled at his last comment. Delilah was no wench. Wenches were loose, promiscuous women who had no better things to do that waste their time. Virtues and chastity meant nothing to those kind of women and Delilah certainly was in no way a part of that lewd bunch. "Take that back."

"No."

Little John had silenced us enough times already and finally, he knocked me in the head. Even when the man was using his smallest strength, he could easily disorientate you. When I finally was able to see straight again I noticed that he had hit Stutely, too. The cur deserved it.

There was a whistle. Much had spotted something. I brought an arrow from my quiver. Robin had gotten word from Marian, that amber haired goddess, of these travelers and now they were coming. She had ratted on her own fat and rich uncle—that made her even more beautiful to me.

Little John whispered back and soon we could hear the carriage moving through the forest at a snail's pace, fearing for the brush and the possible outlaws. "How much?"

"What?" I turned to Will in confusion.

"How much does the apology mean to you?" Will questioned in a whisper. "What would you do to prove it?"

I frowned, furrowing my brows at Will. "You've a twisted mind, sir."

"No, I mean it." Will repeated. "How much?"

I glanced at the carriage. "I bet that those two bottles of the best wine in that carriage will be yours if you apologize to her."

Will grinned. "Done, but if your wrong, I get to kiss her."

That heated my blood even more and then, Robin dropped down before the carriage, spooking the horses. "Welcome to Sherwood Forest!" Robin cried, the driver struggling to keep his animals in control while Robin pulled an arrow to the nock. "We can do this in a pleasant fashion in a poor one, now you can either just give me your riches or I can take them from you by force."

"Get out of my way, rogue!" The driver shot back.

"What is the meaning of this?" A fat head poked out from carriage. "You sir! Get out of the way!"

"All right then!" Robin shouted. "A duel!"

The man in the carriage replied with something like a growl and then appeared from the carriage, drawing his sword while Little John took care of the driver. Robin only laughed at Marian's greedy uncle as he approached the green outlaw. Much appeared then, lifting the man's robes and covering his eyes with them.

Marian's uncle was soon bound and gagged in the carriage, his frail little daughter gasping in horror. "You thieves! You brutes!" She cried in disgust, her beauty matching Marians, only her hair was not so much like fire. "Prince John will hear about this! And his Sheriff, too!"

"Oh will he?" Stutely teased, prepared to reach up the frightened girls skirts.

I grabbed Will's wrist, keeping him in place. "Do it and I will remove that hand."

Will gave me an odd look and then, out of embarrassment, pulled form my grip and continued on with his pillaging in silence. "Thank you." The woman sobbed after Will left.

I just glanced at her, meeting her bright green eyes. Without a word, I continued on and Robin sent the carriage on its way, with a note for the Sheriff and his prince. "You were right." I turned to my left to see Will standing there. "Two bottles of wine. How did you know?"

"I heard Marian telling Robin last night." I replied. "She said that her uncle always carried two full bottles of wine to and fro on his carriage rides."

Will nodded in reply. "Well done, Scarlet. You've won this time."