(A/N Yes, I know. That was fairly evil of me, to be honest. He's not dead yet, though. That's all I'm saying...

RocMySox: Erm... well, I'm not going to force Will to choose between Djaq and Lizzie. That would be fairly cruel. However, there will be tension...

Soulprovider: I'm really glad you liked it. Your reviews mean loads to me. :)

Emoras: Haha, when I first read your review, I had flashbacks to the Series Finale, when Marian died. I was screaming at the tv. And then basically held my breath the whole time she had the sword sticking out of her, unsure whether they were really going to kill her off, or not... I hope you didn't die!

DeathlyElegance: Argh! -runs and hides away somewhere- You might want to brace yourself...

Small-Fri: The epitome of Evil? I love it! And that update was probably not the fastest creature in the world. It was probably more a middle-speed, slow-ish creature. I'm dreadfully sorry about that...)

Chapter 7

"A scream.

And then silence and blackness. An eternity of nothing..."

XxXxX

The scream had been Elizabeth, unable to stop herself. She clamped a hand over her mouth, horrified. They couldn't do this... They couldn't! She heard a sharp intake of breath beside her as an arrow sliced through the air, but it's journey was cut short when an unwilling guard was pushed into it's path by a grimacing Sheriff. The man collapsed, dead before he hit the ground, from an arrow wound directly to his heart. The perfect shot.

High above the two women, Robin Hood swore roughly, reaching for another arrow. A sudden splintering noise sounded behind him, and he turned to see a triumphant guard slicing through the last of his arrows. The man died in a second, the victim of Robin's sword. But his job was done. Robin now had no means of saving Will without physically fighting the guards and possibly even Gisbourne himself, which meant that there was more time for Will to die...

How long had it been-- one minute? Two minutes? Too long. What the young carpenter needed now was quick, decisive thinking.

"GET HIM DOWN."

The cry echoed around the courtyard, halting the shouts and screams almost instantly. The gang sprang into action. John, with his quarterstaff, jumped onto the platform. His blows were powerful, but not enough to stop the hundreds of guards suddenly everywhere, appearing from an unknown door. Much screamed a battle cry, drawing his sword. The Gang did not normally tolerate killing, under orders from Robin himself, but the rules had changed. The life of one of their own was in danger, and they weren't just going to sit there and watch him die.

XxXxX

Elizabeth pulled a light, but powerful rapier from somewhere -Marian was not sure where,- wielding it with a deadly accuracy that was strong and yet elegant, like the woman herself. With a lightning-quick stab, she killed the Executioner, and sliced through the rope that choked Will. A saracen woman caught him in her open arms, staggering a little under his dead weight, but not dropping him. The two women nodded to one another quickly; neither could explain it, but they felt a certain sort of bond. Elizabeth trusted this woman beyond all belief, even as she heaved Will, unnoticed, through the crowd, away from her.

The tall, bearded man hoisted Will away from the Saracen woman, and they seemed to exchange a few words, but Elizabeth couldn't hear them. A sudden tugging on her sleeve surprised her, and she turned around quickly, weapon raised to defend herself.

But it was just Lady Marian, who pulled her towards two horses nearby. They mounted them quickly, riding through the courtyard and out of the gate, forgotten among the chaos of fighting. The villagers had helped Will in their own way-- by distracting as many guards as they could, in all the ways that they could think of.

Elizabeth saw the Outlaws ride from Nottingham. Will rode with the woman, who held his unconscious form tightly against her as she trotted away from the gallows that had nearly killed him. Elizabeth felt a pang of envy at the thought, but brushed it away immediately. This was no time for immaturity.

She and Marian reached the camp before the Outlaws, and Elizabeth was surprised by the complexity of the design, although she recognised it immediately as one of Will's. She smiled, despite herself, but her fragile state of mind was shattered when the woman, who Elizabeth learned was called Djaq, rode into the camp with Will, closely followed by the other Outlaws.

Djaq, with the help of John, laid Will down quickly onto his bunk, as Much fetched her medicine cabinet. The physician checked Will's breathing and pulse efficiently, but Elizabeth did not miss the tears that ran down her cheeks as she worked. She clearly loved Will very much, and Elizabeth surprised herself by feeling not a little hostile towards this woman. Her words were blunt as she next spoke, barely able to conceal the tremor in her voice, "Is he...?"

(A/N Oh boy. I'm sensing some very hostile reviews coming my way... But I don't mind. You should send them anyway.

That was a hint, if you hadn't noticed... hehe.

BeckyScarlett x)