SHERWOOD FOREST – THE TREE LINE
"Much." Marian whispered as she drew closer to the man.
He was stood leaning against a tree, staring out at the gathering army at the base of the hill.
He looked up in surprise at her.
"Marian?"
"Much…" She was close now, "I will do anything you say, anything you want just… don't let him walk out against Vaisey…"
"What?" Much gasped.
"He didn't tell you?" She asked, so sure that she had been the last person Robin had told.
"Fight the Sheriff?" He cried and she hushed him.
"it's madness, its four to one we would be slaughtered... killed… even if we snuck up on them"
"No Much." She said over him and he fell silent as she finished.
"Just him… he is going to give himself up." Her voice cracked.
"What…" Much gasped and turned his head.
She folded her arms around herself and looked out as Much did over the gathering men.
Marian was so angry at Robin, and so hurt… but she knew no power on this earth was going to keep him from doing what he thought was right…
Even if that meant giving himself up.
She swallowed.
"What is he thinking, these are boys we have got, they are famers…. Surely…" Much was rambling quietly.
"He is doing It to save us all." Marian whispered, "He truly believes that by giving himself up Vaisey will have everything he wants, and that no one in the forest will be touched… He believes that if he does not walk out there, Vaisey will kill us all."
Much swallowed, "and you think what?"
She stared at him sadly, "I don't know what to think anymore Much."
Much felt cold.
What was Robin doing?
"Much you have to tell him." Marian breathed and glanced back at him, "You are the only one he will listen to…"
"No… surely…"
"Much." Tears pricked her eyes, "Please."
"But me?" He hissed, "Say no to Robin and expect him to listen….? No…"
"Just this once, please try…"
"But we have always been together… I would be nothing without him."
"Please Much." She sniffed, "I want him safe, I want you all safe…"
She took a deep breath before continuing, her eyes flitted out over the army.
"I am leaving to meet more of the king's troops in Loughborough in the morning."
"You are leaving?" Much whispered.
She swallowed and nodded.
Her voice cracked, "I won't stay to watch… I can't… if he would only wait, only wait for more troops… but he won't listen to me Much… this is why you have to try…"
"But…" Much shook his head and said nothing more.
Silence fell between them for a moment before she sniffed.
"I am going to lose him…" Her voice cracked quietly.
She started to cry, tears rolled down her face and her hands quivered.
"I'm going to lose him…" She sobbed.
"No you won't…" Much was frantic; he didn't know what to do.
"Oh Much."
She hugged him tight and sobbed into his chest, clutching it tightly.
He floundered for a moment before he patted her back gently.
All the pent up emotion of the past couple of days flowed from Marian as she clung to much.
There was a part of her, growing louder every second, which screamed for a separate set of arms.
She wanted Robin to hold her and tell her he was wrong.
But she knew he wouldn't.
Much was her friend though, and he did not push her away.
He knew exactly what Robin meant to her, and what she meant to him.
He was their loyal friend who they loved.
Marian sobbed.
Much rubbed her back lightly.
"Don't cry…."
"Much…" She sobbed.
"I will watch out for him, make sure he's okay, I'll stop him… and when you come back, he will be waiting for you, I promise."
She nodded into his shoulder.
ROBIN AND MARIAN'S CAVE
By the light of candles, Robin sat at the table that had never been used for anything practical, and that Will had made.
They had never ate or written at it, and it was covered with candles… used mainly to support them and their weapons.
Robin pulled over a piece of parchment that Djac had put there along with a pot of ink and a quill, when she had helped Will furnish it as a surprise for Robin and Marian.
Robin swallowed and bent his head as he wrote.
Blinded by tears, he managed to write, even when some fell onto the parchment.
SHERWOOD FOREST
Dawn broke.
The sun rose and the air turned crisp but grew in warmth.
Inside though, the outlaws were cold.
A man was preparing his horse for travel, for its final ride.
His back was too them, his lads.
Robin had his gang watching him, all wearing grim expressions as he fixed his saddle.
"This, you should not do." John said firmly.
Djac nodded, "he is right…"
Robin straightened, still facing his horse as he checked its saddle, his back to them.
Will spoke next, "We should wait, wait for Marian to bring the troops from Loughborough…"
"No." Robin said.
"Why not?" Alan asked.
"They won't be here in time, you know it." Robins tone was stiff.
"Surely…" much stepped forwards shakily, already grieving.
"And how many of them will die?" Robin's voice was icy.
"Why not wait?" Tuck queried.
"Because I am not willing to put the lives of everyone in this entire forest in danger, out of the hope that Vaisey will back down, and not march in here at nightfall." Robin turned to face them.
"If he comes in we will all surely die, every last one of us."
They simply stared at him, such brave words from their leader which may be his last…
Archer shifted uncomfortably; he could not believe Robin was going to give himself up.
The gang all nodded gravely, and Robin smiled at each of them.
"My lads." He said with a grin.
He turned back to his horse and Much walked closest to him.
"Don't do this." He said, "Please."
"Much…" Robin sighed.
"Please, for Marian, we should wait, at least then… you are giving up…" Much pressed, he was growing in confidence.
He couldn't let Robin do this.
"This is madness, please, we should fight, not let you do this, I can't…." Much was rambling now anxiously, "Marian, I promised her that I would look out for you, that I would try and stop you…"
"Old friend." Robin put one hand on Much's shoulder and stared at him.
"This is not something I want to do, it is something I have to do, to protect everyone in this forest…"
"Don't do it, stay here, for me... for the gang… for her, please." Much was begging now, "Please listen to me."
Robin bit his lips and swallowed with a brave smile.
"You know me Much, I never listen to you."
With one final hug Robin swung up onto his horse and set off at a ride towards the edge of the forest.
The gang ran to the shelter of the tree line and watched as he rode slowly and victorious towards the growing mass of men.
This was perhaps the one thing; the gang had never thought they would see Robin do.
But they could see his logic behind it, however much they wished he would not do this…
For the lives of everyone, Robin would end his own life.
ROBIN AND MARIAN'S CAVE
After no sleep Marian was looking around their cave for the final time.
She reached to pick up her sword and attach it to her belt, but as she did so, her fingers brushed a folded piece of parchment with writing on it.
My dearest Marian.
She froze, and it felt somewhat hot to touch, but she lifted it, and held it in her hands as her feet wobbled so she sunk to sit on the edge of their bunk.
Outside the cave, a horse was stood waiting to take her to Loughborough so she could share the news to them, and hopefully send news to the king, that Robin Hood had fought his last.
She scornfully and in hurt thought that it was hardly a fight, but she hated herself the moment she thought it.
He was giving it all up, to save so many…
She only wished that he would fight.
But it was not enough, what she wanted…
She hated him somewhat for this… so why should she watch?
Before she even started to read the ink letters, she noticed that some were slightly blurred from droplets of water…
Tears…
Her fingers touched them gently and she swallowed, her own already rising in her eyes.
The tears of Robin Hood.
She swallowed, and started to read.
When tomorrow starts without me, and I am not here to see,
If the sun should rise and find your eyes, filled with tears for me…
I wish so much you would not cry, the way you did today,
While thinking of the many things, we did not get to say.
I know how much you love me, as much as I love you.
And each time you think of me, I know you will miss me too.
When tomorrow starts without me, don't think we are far apart,
For every time you think of me,
I am right there in your heart…
Good bye my love.
She could hear is voice in her head, and it broke her heart.
Her hand's tightened around it and she lifted it to her lips, kissing it shakily as she tried so hard not to cry.
Goodbye my love.
Her heart broke.
But in the same instant, it set her mind.
She bolted from where she sat and swung herself up into the saddle of her horse, stuffing the letter into her bodice as the tears threatened to stream down her face.
She was once prepared to travel to Loughborough, but now Marian sat atop her own horse, her mind like Robin's, who could now see Vaisey and Guisborne riding towards him, flickering and burning with memories of their time in the forest, the adventures and near adventures they had had.
She stopped her horse on the road old north road, and looked down to her right, in the direction that would lead her to Loughborough.
But her head shifted to gaze down the other way, which would take her to Nottingham.
Marian's heart, rather than her head, kicked her horse into a gallop in one direction only.
THE FIELD
Robin sat facing Guisborne and Vaisey atop his horse, saying nothing.
Vaisey was clapping, laughing at his victorious achievement.
Robin Hood was giving himself up!
"Oh bravo!" He was cheering.
Guy was sneering; finally, he would have Hood dead at his feet, cold and unmoving.
"You came, I knew you would." Vaisey was laughing joyously, "You gave yourself up aww…"
He was mocking Robin, but the archers face did not betray that he noticed.
His heart hammered out one name and one name only.
"You came, out of the forest in surrender…" Vaisey was chuckling, but his eyes were dark.
"You surrendered. I knew you would come."
Robin straightened, "Just me, of all men… just for you…"
Vaisey nodded, "I know."
Two pieces of Robin's brain clicked together.
Why had he not thought of it before?
His heart hammered loudly, and his eyes glinted.
He thought of Marian, so disappointed and alone now… riding towards Loughborough…
When he saw her again, he would beg for her forgiveness…
Why had he not thought of this plan before?
Why had he made his gang believe he valued them for nothing, that he would surrender it all…
Finally.
Robin had a plan.