A/N Hi thanks for reading, please reveiw


9

Gisborne found Frankie stood outside the stables waiting for him.

"Come on then, where's this grand tour of Locksley you promised me?" She said with a grin.

He offered her his arm and she took it as they set of around Locksley. As they walked past the houses Frankie noticed the people disappearing into them the moment they spotted the two of them. She frowned.

"Why do they all hide when they see us?" She asked Gisborne.

"Who says they're hiding? They probably just needed to go inside." Gisborne replied offhandedly.

"It looks like hiding to me." Said Frankie glancing behind her and seeing them peek apprehensively out of their doors.

Gisborne sighed.

"I don't know why they're hiding."

Frankie just looked at him.

"Okay maybe because they're afraid of me. And you too." He added as an afterthought.

"Why would they be afraid of me?" She asked perplexed. "I don't even know them."

"Exactly. They don't know what to expect. Also they found out about you tying Hood up."

"So? What's Hood got to do with this?"

"Well they worship Hood and his outlaws so you're not exactly in their good books."

The couple walked along in silence, both lost in thought.

Frankie was confused. How could these people be afraid of her when she hadn't even been here a day? Just because of her relatives and because she tied Robin Hood up. What did they expect her to do, let him rob her? She frowned. Gisborne and her uncle may like being feared by the villagers but she didn't. She was going to have to do something about this.

Just then a little girl came running out of one of the houses and stopped in front of them.

"Hello." Frankie said crouching down so they were at the same level.

Gisborne sighed impatiently and Frankie knew he was probably rolling his eyes, but she ignored him.

"Hello. What's your name?" the little girl asked.

Frankie smiled at the fearlessness of the girl.

"Frankie." She replied, "What's your name?"

"Lilly." Said the little girl.

"That's a pretty name." Said Frankie.

Lilly reached out and touched Frankie's necklace.

"It's pretty. What is it?"

"It's a Celtic knot. A triple spiral. It's a sign of female power. Do you like it?"

"Yeah it's sparkly." Said Lilly, "Can I have it?"

Frankie laughed. This little girl was bolder than her whole village put together.

"Sure." Frankie said with a smile.

She lifted the necklace over her head and placed it round the neck of the little girl. She smiled at the look of pure delight on Lilly's face.

Just then a woman came running out of one of the houses looking panicked.

"Lilly! Lilly!" She shouted.

She spotted the little girl and came running over to her. She swept her up into a tight hug. Then she noticed the necklace around Lilly's neck.

"Where did you get this?" She asked.

"The lady gave it to me." Lilly said pointing at Frankie.

The woman suddenly noticed her and sunk into a deep curtsy looking panicked.

"My Lady," She said and Frankie sighed. "You can have it back."

The woman tried to lift the necklace over Lilly's head, ignoring the little girl's protests.

"No it's okay. It was a gift. She can keep it." Frankie replied quickly.

"Thank you My Lady." Said the woman curtsying again. "You are too kind."

She took the little girl by the hand and led her back towards her house. Lilly turned around and waved to Frankie who waved back with a smile.

"You didn't have to do that." Said Gisborne who leaning on a fence a few paces away.

"No I didn't." Said Frankie, "But unlike you and my uncle, I don't like having people fear me."

They walked along in silence till they reached the edge of the forest. Gisborne subtly directed Frankie so they were walking alongside the edge of the forest rather than entering it.

"Hood had escaped by the time we got there." Gisborne said suddenly.

"Yeah uncle told me. I'm sorry, I know how important this was to you two. We must have missed one of them or something."

"Well Hood is good at getting out of tight spots. Don't worry, we'll get him."

Gisborne spotted a soldier making his way over to them.

"Excuse me." He said and made his way over to the soldier.

Frankie watched him go and saw the two men having a hushed conversation. Once again her eyes strayed down him and she sighed. He was clearly mourning that woman uncle had told her about, the one he had killed. She didn't fully understand what had happened but this woman was clearly still occupying his thoughts.

She turned away looking for something to distract her from Gisborne. She heard a rustling in the woods behind her and turned to see what it was. She frowned as her eyes scanned the undergrowth. She spotted a dark figure and smiled.

"I'm sorry Lady Frankie I have to go." Gisborne said from behind her.

She turned around to face him.

"Will you be okay here?" He asked

"Yeah I'm fine." She replied.

"Good, I'll see you at the feast in the castle this evening."

With that Gisborne turned on his heel and left.

"And they say chivalry's dead." She muttered sarcastically under her breath.

She turned back to the forest with a sigh.

"It's rude to eavesdrop you know."