THE FIELD

"I want to settle this with champions." Robin said.

"What?" Vaisey snapped.

Robin grinned, his cocky attitude returning.

Robin Hood, that's who he was…, Robin Hood, did not need to surrender…

Not now he saw another way.

"What?" Robin arched one eyebrow, "You must know me better than to think that I would leave my wife and friends and walk openly into your trap…" He scoffed.

Guisborne was glaring profoundly, eyes cold.

God could not snatch away Hoods death from his grip once more.

Little did he realise that Robin was not taking it away, he was just dangling it in front of him.

"Champions?" Vaisey sneered, what was Hood talking about?

"One of your men against mine." Robin was speaking now, "and the winner takes the day."

"What!" Vaisey screamed.

"Why should I, I have enough men here to crush your stupid little peasant army without this sport…" He was furious, "The odds are four to one, why should I make them even? Why should I agree to your terms?"

Robin straightened in his saddle with a small grin.

"I am one champion."

Vaisey laughed shortly, "And Guisborne the other?"

"If I lose my men are yours." Robin stated, "The peasants and the farmers they will not trouble you, they will go back home as they please… and my gang will disappear."

"And if I lose?" Guisborne sneered.

Now that he had the opportunity to squeeze and drain the life from Hood, none of his blows would miss.

He would make it count.

Robin answered him.

"All of your soldiers leave the field and do not take one foot inside my forest." Robin turned back to Vaisey.

Vaisey rolled his eyes, "Oh la di da di da…"

"I thought you once said that trial by combat was not big and was not clever?" Guy demanded coldly and the two glared at one another, "Or were those charitable words as hollow as the rest…"

"I do not joke." Robin stated angrily.

"Temper temper…" Vaisey leered.

His mind buzzed.

"Very well."

He had more than enough men to crush Hood if he beat Guisborne.

He had no real attachment to Guy, and if he died, it would be nothing more than collateral damage…

Why couldn't Vaisey enjoy his sport?

"Fine." He said and turned his horse to back towards the field.

THE TREE LINE

The gang watched as Vaisey rode back towards the camp.

They stared on as Robin and Guisborne dismounted, smacking the rears of their horses and sending them off galloping into the trees.

"What is he doing?" Much hissed.

"He isn't surrendering…" Archer muttered, "He can't be… he should be dead by now…"

"Don't say that." John said firmly.

"Then what is he doing?" Djac asked, looking at Will.

Will straightened as Robin and Guisborne started to stalk each other in a circle, drawing their swords.

"Trial by combat." Alan muttered.

All of the men sucked in a breath.

Djac swallowed, "What does that mean?"

She did not have to know for sure to know by their reactions that it was not good.

Where was Marian?
She should be here…

"They will fight to the death." Alan said.

Both of them bit their lips as Robin seemed to have enough of creating a show for Vaisey, who was now reclining in a chair at the very front of camp, Isabella was stood close by, clasping her goblet of wine in her hands.

Robin swung his sword firmly in front of him, an inch before Guisborne.

Guy retaliated, by slamming his blade in the dirt beside Robin.

THE FIELD

"She will be mine, just as Locksley is, when you are dead in the dirt where you belong…"

"She will never be yours, she will always be mine…"

"No, she will yield, weak and womanly…"

"Weak, we are evidently not thinking of the same woman." Robins snarl came as he crashed his blade against Guisborne's arm.

The man roared out in pain as the tip of the blade caught his flesh, scratching it.

The combat had already drawn blood.

The men were gasping for breath, both covered in scratches.

Robin had a long cut down his arm, and it had slashed through his shirt across the chest.

"She will never yield o you…" Robin's sword crashed against Guisborne's.

It drove the man back a couple of places, but he spun and swiped his blade straight through the air.

Its tip skimmed Robins shoulder and he gritted his teeth in pain before shoving his sword arm forwards.

"Do you know any prayers my friend?" Guisborne snapped furiously.

"I'll say one for you." Robin cried and dove out of the way of Guisborne's angry blade.

Robin rolled back to his feet and put his sword up to protect him.

"You have come to Nottingham once too often…" Guisborne and Robin circled one another again, their swords crashing together.

Despite his slight fatigue, robins crusader training meant that he had a quick reply.

"When this is over I will have no reason to come again!"

Their blades created an X between them and they snarled balefully in one another's face.

SHERWOOD FOREST –THE TREE LINE

Marian's horse galloped to stand a few feet behind the gang.

She leapt from its saddle and rushed to stand with the gang and men, who were still stood watching the fight.

"Where is he?" She rushed towards John.

He grabbed her and held her tight as her face and eyes locked on Robin fighting some distance away.

She could hear their clashing swords from there.

She started to struggle.

"We couldn't stop him." John said firmly.

Marian's eyes were wide and frantic.

THE FIELD

Robin's sword slammed against Guy's once more, but it sent him backwards onto his back.

He lifted his blade to block Guisborne's, but Guy flicked his blade, sending Robins from his hand.

Robin stared up into the face of his enemy, fat on his back, with the air knocked out of him.

Guisborne seemed to block out the sun.

THE TREE LINE

Marian saw Robin fall, and her scream deafened the people stood beside her.

John could not hold her tight enough, and with a burning heart, she ripped herself from his grip, and raced down the hill towards her husband.

THE FIELD

Robin heard Marian's scream and her voice crying out his name.

But that was impossible, for Marian had left; she was gone, gone to Loughborough…

"Go on then." He glared up at Guisborne, "Do it."

Guy sneered, "I will be rid of you, forever…"

Robin shook his head, "Wherever you go Guisborne, whatever you do… the world will not be big enough to hide from me… and you shall never be free of me."

Enraged, Guisborne lifted his sword and made to slam it down.

Robin sat up slightly, and drew his dagger from is hip.

He slashed it against Guys leg, and the man screamed in pain as his skin was torn across his thigh.

Robin glared up at him and grabbed his own sword.

Vaisey stood from his seat.

"Guards, all of you, Hood, get him now!"

Vaisey could see where this was going.

Hood could not escape.

Vaisey had never been one to play by the rules.

"Get him, get him!"

Robin spat on the floor and pushed himself to his feet as Guisborne did.

Neither of them could live, while the other survived…

"SHOOT THEM!"

Vaisey's voice carried, and Robin heard him bellow before Blamire did, at the front line of archers as the other guards climbed atop their horses.

Guisborne slammed his sword down on Robins, put Robin parried and they drove each other back a few spaces.

Robin glared profoundly at Guisborne as the man produced his dagger from his pocket.

"Remember this?" The man sneered, "it is the same dagger I put inside your wife…"

His words angered Robin so much that he forgot about the gathering army, even though they had already started to move.

Guisborne let out a roar of anger and flicked his arm, sending the dagger forwards.

A body slammed into the side of Robins.

The momentum of Marian's arms on him sent them both to the floor, and they rolled three times before stopping.

Guisborne's dagger landed in the dirt where Robin had been standing.

Marian wrenched Robin to his feet, and he pulled her by the wrist sharply towards him and spun her behind him, as his sword sent Guisborne, for he met his blade firmly, backwards into the dirt.

The Sheriffs guard were thundering towards them.

Robin and Marian stared at one another for half a second before racing towards the tree line.

The approaching black line of men, lead my Isabella and Vaisey who were mounted, made the gang freeze.

Robin opened his mouth to bellow at them as they ran towards them.

"Everyone, fold back now, across the river…"

"RUN!"