Thanks to Kegel for the beta

Chapter Six

They were simple graves. Wooden crosses, the fine craftsmanship suggesting that it had been Dan who had made them, had been pounded into the ground to mark where they lay. The three were near one another, Jane's in the middle, with each child off to one side. Robin stayed where he had first come, crouched with arms resting on his knees, and even though his legs were starting to burn, he could not force himself to move.

It couldn't be true. This could not be happening. With each breath, each new event, he found himself dreading this strange life all the more. Will…Luke…both dead; and so young, with so much potential. It was enraging, sickening, and Robin found himself fighting to keep from being sick.

"What happened?"

Dan had followed him. As had Much. He couldn't blame the either of them. Robin had taken off so fast for the hill he had frightened them both. Though they hadn't made a sound, he knew they were waiting on him. When nothing still was said he turned, meeting Dan's gaze with a serious one of his own. "I must know."

"Robin…you were there," Dan started, but Robin was in no mood for any games.

"Then I do not remember," he spout off angrily as he moved, standing in one solid motion. "Tell me."

The man was quiet at first, shaking his head as he finally answered. "You were the one that read their sentencing—"

"No."

Robin refused to believe that, but Dan seemed bewildered at his outburst. He swallowed, "I could not…"

"You didn't have a choice, Robin," the man told him quietly.

Robin bit his lip. There was always a choice. Everything was a choice. He could not allow himself to believe he had willingly let them die. The bitter pain was returning, as was a new, gut-wrenching turmoil he could not quell. What had become of him?

"What my boys did, they knew it was wrong. The fault was their own, not yours."

"If I read the sentencing then I agreed with it," he argued, his mind flitting back to the mother and child he had seen to safety. If he had argued against that, and won, then he could have done so with them. So the question was why he hadn't. He met Dan's gaze, bitterness in his own heart. How could the man even look at him, let alone be civil with him? His entire family was dead, and not only had he, Robin, not prevented it, but it seemed as though he had been the cause of it as well.

"The sheriff had you under duress," Dan told him quietly. "Everyone knew that; as they know he holds you now in much the same condition. You did what you could, but had you not agreed, then others would have paid, and it wouldn't have changed the fate for my boys. I would not have that happen, Robin, no matter how much I loved them. I do not blame you."

Yet he blamed himself. Robin moved hastily to wipe away the fallen tears, but they did not go unmissed. It was Dan this time that pulled him into an embrace, one that he returned without question. "I'm so sorry."

"Master?" Much's voice was timid, the man uncertain as to what to do. "Perhaps we should return home, have you get more rest. It has been a long day, and you are not yet well…"

No amount of rest would make him well again. Not if this was the fate he had to live with. How many others had he sentenced to die? How many had suffered due to his cowardice? How many more would suffer, with the coming of this new tax he was to propose within the coming weeks? He was once the bringer of hope, the one people said silent prayers to in the middle of night. Now they would soon be cursing his name, if they did not already.

"Come back with me," Dan was still watching him, showing to be in a far better state than he. "It would only cause Lady Marian worry if you were to go home like this."

Marian…he longed to see her. The very thought lifted the heaviness in his heart, though it did not banish it completely. Yes; she would worry. He had been out longer than planned, and no doubt Much would waste no time in relaying all that had happened in the day's events. The last thing Robin wanted was to cause anyone more pain, let alone her. He would take some time; compose himself before returning to what he knew would be a long night.

Dan had been gracious enough to find him something to eat, but Robin waved away the offer. He would not take anything from the man when his own fully stocked store was but a few houses away. It was just the two of them, Much returning to the manor on Robin's request. He figured the man was anxious to speak with Marian, to warn her of what the sheriff had said. So he would grant them the time alone; for now, his mind was on other matters.

"I know it is difficult," Robin began quietly as the other man returned to the room, "but I must know how this happened."

"It was just as difficult for you as it was for me," Dan answered as he sat across from him. The cup was offered, another invitation of good will. When Robin did not move to take it, the man simply sat it down in front of him. Robin doubted his stomach could handle anything much right now. He was more interested in answers. If the man was still worried by Robin's questions, it did not show.

"They were caught stealing flour. Giddens was, not my boys. But I suppose it was my boys that had the idea. Will, at least. He was always stubborn, always so upset since Jane passed away. I know it was wrong of them, I'm not trying to say they were right."

"If people were starving, what other choice did they have?"

"They wouldn't steal from you, Robin," Dan nodded towards him as he held his own cup to his lips. "You already gave out what you could, but you can't always feed an entire village. When I woke that morning to find the both of them gone, I figured they were up to something. And when Gisborne came to Locksley later that day saying the thieves had been tracked back here, I knew it had been them. There was nothing you could do for Giddens, but you sent Gisborne away, kept him from poking around any further. You gave me another day with my boys."

"And Giddens confessed?"

Dan nodded, quiet just then. Robin didn't prompt him, only waited, trying to ease the upset in his own stomach. The man sighed. "You spoke with the sheriff, but he is not easily swayed. Knowing what you did, you were lucky a flogging was all you received."

"What?" Robin met his gaze, confusion settling in.

"Forgive me, Master Robin," the man had drawn back into a formal tone. "I did not mean any offense; I just…"

"I was flogged?" That Robin could not believe. A flogging was peculiar punishment, usually reserved for repetitive thieves or insubordinate guards. He had seen it happen before, but had never felt the bite of a whip himself.

"Surely you remember?" Dan watched him skeptically.

Robin would have said the same to anyone else as well. That would be something not easily forgotten. But how could he remember when it had never happened? When he didn't respond, Dan explained.

"When you failed to convince the sheriff to pardon them, you went to free them yourselves. I did not learn till later of what you had done. Your plan would have worked too, had the sheriff not caught you. Had it been myself, or anyone else, for that matter, the sheriff would have had them hang with the others. But you…the sheriff valued you too much. The flogging was done in private, but the sheriff made sure it was well known that it took place."

The news was chilling, a deep unsettling feeling in his stomach that made him all the more ill. Robin was determined he might never eat again, each new discovery threatening to lose what he had taken in. Whether this was a dream, or a reality he had tried so hard to forget, Robin was no longer sure. He knew there was a life he could remember with such vividness and detail that it could not possibly be a dream. Yet what he was facing here, what he was seeing now, was just as real. Old friends that had died in front of his eyes were still alive, and those who he had held so close not long ago had been dead for years. These were truths he could not deny, neither could he condone them.

Robin knew he had to find out what had happened; he had to find some way to make sense out of what could not be true.

He had stayed for a time before excusing himself. He enjoyed Dan's company, but Robin also wanted to give Much more time. The man would no doubt warn Marian; it seemed as though the two were working together, and Robin was glad. He trusted Much even if the man wasn't so receptive towards him anymore. With any luck Marian would watch her step with more care; if she were to be discovered, Robin was not sure what would take place. That was a lie; he knew, he just didn't want to think of it.

So when he came through the threshold, he made as much noise as possible. Before he had listened in on their words, keeping the secret to himself, but whatever might be said between them now was a greater risk. Robin could not tell how they might react even if they believed he had overheard. Yet there was no worry; Much was alone in the main room, watching as he came in.

"Master, I was starting to worry, I—"

"Is Marian here?" That was what he wanted to know. The hour had drawn late, so he suspected she might have already retired to bed. If that was the case, Robin could not be certain if they had spoken. But it was confirmed for sure as Much shook his head.

"She is not yet home."

Still out, at an hour like this? Of course, he himself had only just returned, but Robin could only imagine one reason for Marian to be out this late. The thought worried him. Whether or not she was responsible for the missing shares the night before he could not say for certain. But he did know that the sheriff would have more guards about, more men to keep an eye out for the ghostly figure that flitted through the night. She had been wounded before, as the Nightwatchman…at least for what he could remember.

But apparently Gisborne had never been Lord of Locksley here, and so she would have never been cornered. But what about all the other times? Robin knew full well that Gisborne had bested her more than once. How close had the man come to discovering her identity?

He heard it then, as did Much. Robin could see the man stiffen at the sound of the barn door, the clopping of hooves. Someone was just returning to Locksley, and Robin didn't have to guess who it was to know.

"I'll um, I'll make some food. Yes. It's been a long day, you should go and rest. I'll bring some food up to you."

"There's someone in the barn," Robin answered. He knew what Much was doing; causing a distraction, allowing Marian enough time to keep her secret concealed. But Robin would not allow it to happen. There was no better time to confront her about this business than catching her in action. He could talk to her, warn her himself about what he was supposed to do. No matter how much she upheld the Nightwatchman, it would have to stop, for her own safety.

Much was scrambling after him in a vast hurry as Robin left the manor. Every excuse, the most the man had said since Robin first awoke to this cruel reality, pouring from his lips. When he reached the barn door he could feel the man grab him, attempt to pull him away, but Robin would not be detoured. The two of them stumbled into the barn as the door opened, coming to a quiet stop as they watched her.

It was Marian, not the Nightwatchman as they both had suspected, a frown on her features as she moved out of the way for a stable boy who took care of her horse.

"My lady!" Much let out a breath near him, stammering over his words. "We thought…uh, yes, we thought; Robin thought there was someone in here."

"How observant," came the cool reply. "Are you always this attentive?"

"Marian," Robin shook his head, but he could admit he felt just as relieved. Even now he wasn't sure what he would have said if she had been clad as the phantom. He could easily bring it up now, corner her, make her agree to give it up. But she would retaliate, call him a fool, and deny any accusation. What she would do after Robin could not say, and he did not want to risk losing her. The thought was fleeting, but very much there, and he pushed it from his mind.

"You're out awfully late."

"Forgive me, milord," she answered bitterly, turning away from him. "I've forgotten that you are the only one allowed to leave without permission. It won't happen again."

"You know that's not what I meant," he ground out irritably. Robin could not say what had cast her in such a foul mood, but perhaps it was due to the fact she had been caught unaware. If Robin had caught her like this, then catching her as the Nightwatchman was just as easy. Casting suspicion off with anger and bitterness; she had used that tactic more than once.

"I'm sorry." The response came quietly. Her face was more relaxed when she faced him again. "I have just been busy. A friend of mine has fallen ill; she is not doing well."

"Sara?" It was a guess, but he could see the confusion in her face.

"Her daughter…Jess. But how did you—"

"Much, told me," Robin answered quickly, understanding just then that he was not supposed to have known in the first place. He could see Marian watching the other man, Much behind him shifting uncomfortably.

"Oh, he did?"

"It does not matter," Robin answered before Much could say a word. The two would argue over the simple fact later, Robin knew. Much had not told him anything, he would say so, and Marian would believe him. "It is late, we should get our rest."

"You've been out all day as well?"

Robin didn't pull away as she reached out, her hand coming to a rest on the side of his face. He winced as she felt the cut, the woman letting out a sigh. "We'll have to clean it again. I told you it was too early for you to be out."

"I spoke with the sheriff," he answered simply, following her back to the manor. There was a slight glance his way, but nothing said as they worked their way upstairs. It was strange coming back here, to be able to change into fresh linen, to have a soft bed…a wife. Marian sat down near him, finally responding as she began to work on cleaning his wound.

"What is it that he wanted?"

He wants me to kill you. The words were there, just on the edge of his lips, but he swallowed them the next moment. She could not know. Marian would not give it up, had refused to do so before, even after she had almost died. The business had gotten her into a fair amount of trouble, but her need to help the poor was as strong and fierce as Robin's was. He was starting to become convinced that if he said a word to her, it would drive a wedge between them. No; Much would be the one to tell her, to caution her.

"He wanted me to sentence the mother; he was going to hang her."

"Was?" Marian caught quickly, stilling her movements as she watched him.

"I did not allow it."

She was still watching him, but nodded after a moment and began cleaning once more. Robin flinched at the pressure, unsure if she believed him, or was simply bewildered. The look in her eyes had said just as much, but Robin refused to believe that Marian would even think he would follow through with such a deed.

"How did you get the sheriff to agree with that?"

"He was more interested in other matters," Robin answered quietly. He believed it to be true as well, the tax proposal and the Nightwatchman business having taken over the conversation. Had the sheriff had nothing better to boast about, he might have not allowed it.

"There is to be a tax increasement."

She stopped at these words, watching him. "You said you were against them?" A question or statement, Robin did not know. He nodded his answer, letting out a sigh.

"The sheriff, took liberty in making the decision for me. My word did not count."

"How much?"

"Two-fold, at the beginning of the month."

Marian was silent at first, but nodded as she set the cloth down. "That…that is tolerable. For now. How long until he passes another one? You said you were not going to allow it."

"And you said they would not make a decision with my absence," Robin reminded her, still stung by the fact she had not allowed him to go to the council as first planned.

"I did not think they would. Forgive me."

He knew he could not hold the blame against her. The feeling that the tax proposal would go through with or without him hung in his mind. There surely would have been more threats had he not agreed with it. Perhaps it was best that Vaysey had made the decision for him. At least no one was hurt in the process; more soon would be once the new taxes started. Robin let out a sigh as he lay down, his mind racing with questions. That was all he had anymore.

He turned as Marian slipped under the covers, holding her in a gentle embrace. The kiss he shared was returned, and he stayed where he was, forehead resting against hers, his eyes closed. The warmth of her body was easily felt, the gentle breaths, the enticing smell. Every sense was alive, and each one told him the same thing.

It was real. And Robin wasn't sure if he was elated to learn this, or disturbed by the darker aspect of things that were just coming to light.

TBC