Chapter 9

"Marian!" Carter shouted running across the camp towards her. "Marian you can't just go into the king's tent." Marian was not listening she was sick of being stuck in this camp. 4 months since her incident and she now felt better than ever, she just wanted to go home.

"I have to get home." Marian shouted over her shoulder and arrived at the tent. "I wish to speak with the King."

"I'm sorry milady he is busy." The soldier stood on guard said.

"I have urgent business move aside."

"Lady Marian I cannot."

"Move aside." Marian growled her eyes turning dark. Her temper was worse than it had ever been and she just wanted to get home. The solider visibly withered and stepped aside. Marian entered the tent. "Your Majesty." She knelt before him.

"Please stand Lady Marian." The king said rising from his chair. "I am busy Lady Marian what do you want."
"To go home, Sir." She said.

"You are not ready." The king said quickly dismissing the idea.
"With all due respect sir, I think I am. I have a husband at home who believes me dead, I need to get home to him."
"We will send a messenger to tell him of your survival."

"No." Marian quickly said. The king gave her a puzzled look. "The journey home is perilous, I know that, I would not want him to have to lose me twice and if for one moment he knew he left me in Acre he would never forgive himself. Your Majesty I need to get home to Robin."

"Very well, but you must prove your strength before you leave." The king said. "LUCAS." He shouted. "You will fight him. First to 5 wins."

"Your majesty." Lucas wanted to protest.
"You are the only one I can trust to not take it easy." The king said. "She needs to prove her strength before I can allow her to leave."

"Very well." Marian said. Lucas nodded his consent.

"When?" Lucas said.

"There is no time like the present." Marian said. The king agreed and everyone walked outside.

"What is happening?" Carter said as the group emerged.

"Lady Marian is to prove her strength by fight with Lucas."

"What?" Carter shouted.

"Don't worry." Marian smiled and collected her sword and bow from outside the tent. She strapped on the belt and chucked the bow across her back her quiver already on her back.

Marian and Lucas stood in the middle of a crowd of soldiers, Carter stood by the kings side.
"No blood shed." The king shed. "Do you understand?" They both nodded. "Very well. You may begin." Marian drew her swords and Lucas did the same.

"I will not go easy on you Marian." Lucas said as they circled each other.

"Good, I would not want you to. When I beat you I want to know it was at your best."

Lucas lunged forward and Marian used one sword to push his up and she turned around him and then tapped her second on his back.

"1 point to Marian." The king announced. Lucas scoffed. She obviously knew how to fight. This could be fun.

The fighting continued and it came down to 4-4. "Final point Marian don't choke will you." Lucas laughed at her. The fighting had become rough and dirty, numerous times Lucas had knocked her legs from underneath her.

The pair's swords clashed together as each fighter ducked and dived to avoid the other. A well placed kick from Lucas knocked a sword from Marian's hand, she lost focus for a moment which sent the other flying as well. Lucas backed away thinking he had won.
"You must score the point to win." The king announced. Lucas turned and ran towards her, Marian stayed planted until the last moment, and then she ran and slid through his legs. She pulled her bow from the back as she did and knocked his leg from under him. As Lucas fell, Marian jumped up and drew her empty bow. She fired to string knowing if there had been an arrow in it would have pierced his heart. For good measure Marian tapped the bow on his boot.

"Final point to Marian." The king announced. There was a round of applause and then the group quickly departed. Marian walked to Lucas and held out her hand. Lucas took it and stood. Once on two feet again he pulled her into a hug.

"Well done." He whispered and then released her.

"Congratulations." The king said slapping her shoulder. "You fight well. It's a shame you can't stay." He laughed. Carter had collected the bags which they had packed a week ago and had the horses ready. "Well I'll keep to my word. You may leave." He said and then pulled a bag of money from his belt. "Here you'll be needing this to get home with. Good luck to you both."

"Thank you, your majesty."

"Tell Robin I will be home soon." The king said, Marian nodded and mounted her horse. Marian and Carter rode out of the camp and towards the Acre's port to secure a boat.

Acre Port

"We need a boat which is sailing to England." Carter said to a man as Marian stood with her hood up. They had managed to sell the horses to secure more money and where now trying to find a boat.

"No boats to England for weeks." The Saracen said in broken English.

"We cannot wait weeks." Marian whispered. Carter nodded.

"Where are they going?" He gestured to the boats in the port about to leave.

"Italy and Africa."

"Which is Italy?" Carter asked and the Saracen pointed. Carter grabbed Marians hand and a bag and quickly headed to the boat. "Excuse me," He shouted.

"Yeah." The captain replied. Both were shocked the man was English.

"May we come aboard your boat for a journey home?"

"What is it with the English here at the moment?"

"What do you mean?

"Few months back I took a scraggy group of English men home. They turned out to be a good bunch though, bit glum though."

"Do you remember theirs names?" Marian asked.

"Yeah, one was John, I remember him because he was huge." The captain said "Another was Robin." Marian's eyes lit up.
"Did they make it to England?" she asked.

"Yeah we dropped 'em at Portsmouth. Why?"

"Because one of them is my husband."

"You're the Marian they kept talking about?" Marian nodded. "Well you better come aboard." The captain smiled. "Your husband misses you a great deal." Marian and Carter smiled and then climbed abroad.

"How much do we owe you?" Marian asked. The captain shook his head.

"Help out on deck and get home to that fellow of yours and that will be payment enough." The captain smiled.

"Thank you." Marian said and smiled at Carter. The boat began to move from the port and she could see Acre growing smaller and smaller.

"Carter." She whispered as she stood at the back of the boat watching acre disappear.

"Yes Marian."

"We are going home." She smiled.