A/N: occult told me after I post first posted this that people don't get ill this way, at least not off meat. My excuse... 'twas ye olde times! (And I couldn't be bothered to change it...) Enjoy! -

Chapter ten - Illness

Night had fallen and the outlaws were asleep. But there was someone standing there. Looming over a sleeping figure. He had a dagger in his hands. Daine watched the figure got closer to the sleeping outlaw. The images flickered and swayed.

Then, without knowing why, she knew who the figure was and who he was standing over.

She cried out to try and stop them.

Daine sat upright, she was shivering, but she was sweating. It was still dark, and snoring filled the air. She remembered what she saw. Allan…

She scanned around the camp, unable to tell which outlaw was which. Tears started to fall, she was really scared. Is he here? She couldn't see anyone new. Her vision became blurry as the tears obscured her view.

She couldn't take it anymore, she had to find him. Save him…

She clambered out of her blankets, and fumbled about the camp. She stumbled about, searching for him. She could hardly lift her feet, so she dragged them. She couldn't let it stop her.

Allan's eyes fluttered open. Someone was moving about and it had woken him up. He sat up, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. It didn't take him long. When he sat up he instantly saw someone shuffling about. It was a girl, he guessed it was Daine. Djaq wouldn't leave Will, unless she really had to.

"Daine?" He hissed. She turned and saw Allan. She rushed over to him, crouched down by him and started to ramble in whispers. She was going on about something, but she was talking to fast.

Allan put his hand to Daine's face, it was red hot.

"Shh, shh." Eventually, she calmed down and stopped talking. Allan stroked her face with his thumb; he brushed away tears he didn't know had fallen. He adopted a low tone of voice, and then said, "What's the matter Daine?"

"I, I saw someone. He was trying to kill you."

"Daine, no one's trying to kill me."

"But I saw him. I saw my brother!"

"Your brother? He's not here Daine." She started to cry again. Allan was confused, she wasn't making any sense. He put a firmer grip on her face, ignoring the fact her face was burning up. "Look Daine, he's not here." He forced her to look around. She saw no one, and sighed. "Daine, I think you had a nightmare, it's ok."

She started to breathe deeply. Allan looked at her. In the half light he could see her once intense eyes were now watery, and had lost their sparkle. Her face was blotchy and she was breathing through her mouth. Allan noticed that she was also shivering, but she was so warm. Then it struck him.

"Daine, are you ill?"

"I don't know." She sobbed. "I'm cold." Allan took his hand away from her face and grabbed his blanket. He wrapped it around her shoulders.

"C'mon. Let's get you by the fire. You need to sleep." He led the shaking girl to the dying fire. He tied her hair back, keeping it off her skin to stop it sticking to her. If she'd have been well, she'd have yelled at him. This worried Allan, she was truly unwell. Once she was settled, he stoked the fire and added more logs to get it going again.

He'd just got the fire roaring when he heard some more shuffling. She turned around to see Djaq trying to lead Will over to the fire. He shot up and went to help her.

"Djaq, what's up?"

"I don't know, he woke me up because he was shaking."

"Daine's the same."

"What?"

"Just get him by the fire."

When they got closer, Djaq saw that Daine was already by the fire wrapped up in a blanket. When they'd sat Will down, Djaq got his blanket then wrapped him up in it too.

"What's the matter with them?"

"I don't know. Looks like a fever. We'll see in the morning, right now I think we all need sleep."

The Sheriff awoke that morning feeling rather unwell. He was hot, but shivering and was uncontrollably sweating. And what's more, Merton had told him to stay in bed. He'd said something else, but the fever taking over the Sheriff's body made his hearing go.

The Sheriff slipped in and out of consciousness. The next time he woke, a woman was taking his temperature, and cooling him with wet cloth. The Sheriff couldn't really think of anything to say, so he tried to gain focus on the woman above his head.

She was middle aged, friendly looking with her hair sensibly tied back.

His eyes quickly lost focus, and all he knew about the outside world was from the odd words he caught.

"…he all right?" That was a man's voice, Merton's he guessed.

"…got a fever…" This was a voice the Sheriff didn't know, he guessed it was the woman's, but the sound was distorting and he was loosing consciousness again.

Eventually he slipped back into a deep sleep.

That morning two more outlaws joined Daine and Will by the fire. Much and Little John. They were all showing the same symptoms. Robin, Djaq and Allan had to find out what was causing it, in case they were vulnerable to it as well.

"What did all four of them do yesterday that meant they have this fever?"

The three of them thought a moment. Yesterday they took from the Sheriff some of his meat and supplies, they were running low on the essentials and Allan had thought it a good idea to get some meat.

"The meat?" Djaq asked. "If the meat was bad, then they could have gotten sick."

"But we all ate the meat, didn't we?" Allan was sure they all ate some of it, then he remembered. "They had something different. We had the lamb, they had the beef."

"It seems like an explanation, and the beef did look past its best."

"I'll get word to Marian; see if she can find any medicine or something. But right now, we need to work on cooling these guys down."

The two nodded at Robin, then Allan went to get water while Djaq located some clean cloths. Each looked after an ill outlaw, except Djaq who looked after two.

Allan wiped Daine's brow, repeatedly dropping the cloth back into the cold water, trying to cool her down. He wasn't having much luck. Neither was Robin or Djaq. No matter how hard they tried, the outlaws still remained burning hot.

"I'm not being funny, but this is useless. They aren't getting any cooler! Djaq do you know any lotions or potions that'll cool them down?"

Djaq furrowed her brow, searching her brain for anything that could help. It was unusual for Allan to ask about her Saracen science, he was always weary about it. It wasn't Christian, so it sat outside his comfort zone. But right now, he just wanted his friends to be well.

"I've got it! But I'll have to go into the forest, so you two will have to look after Will and John."

Robin nodded. "Go get what you need." Robin tried to show a calm exterior, but inside he was panicking. Illness from meat could kill, and without Much Robin doubted he'd stay sane. Much had done so much for him over the years, and all he ever did was insult him. Robin had apologised, but he didn't feel it was enough. He couldn't let him die, he couldn't let any of them die.

It was odd really, they always were at risk of death, but never so close you could see it happening.

Allan and Robin worked in silence. They'd set up a little routine. They'd wet the cloths from Much's and Daine's heads, then do Will and John's. They remained silent for lack of words to say. Both minds were racked with worry, imagining the worst scenarios.

Allan found himself wondering about life without Daine. She had changed him so much without realising. Instead of being the confident, sure man he was before, he now doubted himself. Would he go back to the way he was? No way.

Djaq returned shortly, bearing herbs and plants of all sorts. She set about grinding them into a paste, then added water to the paste when it was done.

"Sit someone up." Allan got behind Daine's head and propped her up against his chest. She was lightest, so it would be easiest to lift her first.

Djaq tilted her head back, opened her mouth and poured some of the liquid in her mouth. She instantly stirred.

"I know it tastes bad, but you have to drink it." Djaq spoke softly, but Daine furrowed her brow in protest to the medicine. This time Djaq spoke harder. "Drink it." Daine couldn't have argued even if she was conscious. There was a determinedness about her voice which suggested she would force her to do it anyway.

Daine swallowed a bit of the liquid reluctantly. Allan brushed a bit of stray hair away from her forehead and instantly felt it cool down slightly.

"It's working."

"Good. Lay her down. Robin, pick up someone else." Robin picked up Much, and Djaq fed him some of the liquid. He didn't fuss as much as Daine did, but he did wrinkle his nose after.

Djaq sighed. "Medicine has got to taste bad, it's how you know it's working. Plus it stops you from taking more than you need."

Allan picked up Will, and once he'd been given the medicine, both Robin and Allan picked up John. It took the both of them to hold him up while Djaq poured the medicine into his mouth.

"That will cool them down, but it won't cure them. We need a proper medicine for them. I would make it, but the ingredients can't be found in the forest."

Allan's heart sank, it seemed like all they could do was keep them cool.

"Do you reckon we could just cool them until the fever breaks?"

"No, they need medicine." Djaq had adopted a stony disposition, the man she loved life was on the line. As were her friends. Life was looking bleak.

"I'll go see Marian. Chances are the Sheriff has this fever too, not that I'd wish it on any one, not even him. It was his meat after all. Are you two ok looking after them?"

They nodded, then Robin got up, mounted a horse and rode away to Knighton.

Maggie walked down the corridor of the castle. She'd been into town to get ingredients for some medicine she was instructed to make for the Sheriff. She'd also sent word to her husband to join them in Nottingham; it didn't look like she would be going home. It was going to be a long day.

The Sheriff was really ill but luckily, Maggie had training with medicine. She came from a family of healers. Her mother had trained her in medicine, as had her mother before her and so on. Maggie hoped to continue this family tradition, but she only had one son who's a similar age to Lord Merton. When he was younger and she had to look after Daine, he used to be good friends with Merton and he treated Daine like a little sister.

Maggie sighed as she thought of her son. When he turned sixteen he left home to travel around England. He'd always dreamed of seeing the world. But that was seven years ago when he left. He'd write occasionally, but it's not the same as having your baby boy at home.

She said again, he wasn't exactly her baby boy anymore.

She went into the Sheriff's room, and set the ingredients down on the table in the corner. He groaned a little as the fever worsened slightly. She left her work for a second while she tended to the Sheriff.

Sir Guy and Lord Merton walked into the room as she returned to her medicine. They'd been asking around, trying to find out what could have caused this sudden illness.

"Anything?"

"No one in any of the villages and towns have it, the nobles all confirmed that. But…" Gisbourne trailed off.

"But what?"

"There's a possibility that the beef he had last night caused it."

"Well, the symptoms all support that. Did anyone else eat it?"

"No. The meat was stolen after the chef had cut off what he needed for the Sheriff's meal. Hood and his men are prime suspects for that."

Maggie had to hide the sudden discomfort she was feeling. If Robin had stolen that meat, then they could have eaten it and gotten sick too.

Robin scaled Marian's wall that led to her bedroom. The window was open. He quietly slipped in, surveying the room, trying to find out if Gisbourne was there. He listened for speaking downstairs.

Silence.

He was about to turn and leave for Nottingham when he heard footsteps and humming. The humming wasn't a tune in particular, but Robin recognised the voice behind it.

Robin placed himself behind the door, out of view of the next person to walk in.

Marian walked in, mindlessly humming. She ran her fingers through her wet hair. Robin watched her for a moment forgetting why he was there. But surely enough the thought of his sick men fell back into his mind.

"Marian…" He said softly, but loud enough to make her jump.

"Robin! What are you doing here?" There was a seriousness etched into his face, which he tried to hide with a light manner. She could see right through it though and knew something was wrong.

Robin knew that she could see right through his façade and got straight to the point. "My men are sick."

"How? There is no illness going round. The Sheriff is sick, but that's from bad meat."

"My men are the same. How'd you know the Sheriff is ill?"

"Emergency Council of Nobles, my father went and relayed the news. Gisbourne and Merton were asking about illness spreading through to town. There were none, and Gisbourne told me about his suspicions of the meat so I checked it out."

"And?"

"Well, the chef told me about the beef being off."

"He knew it was off and he still served it to the Sheriff? My men stole that beef, if the chef knew it was bad then he should have thrown it out."

"He was told to spike the Sheriff's meal. By whom I don't know, but he was paid large amounts of money to do so, and everyone sells out at one point."

"Four of my men are ill because of that meat." Robin was involuntarily starting to get angry, and Marian could see this but she couldn't help from rising up to it.

"It's not my fault Robin!"

"I know," Robin stopped himself from talking, she was right, it wasn't her fault. But the fact that Much's life was on the line, and more of his friend's, was getting to him. "Are they making any medicine, or ordering any in?"

"I think they have Lord Merton's nurse, nanny person on the case."

"Maggie…"

Marian raised her eyebrows. "So we are on a first name basis with this woman?"

"She's Daine's nurse." Marian almost kicked herself for her stupidity. "Can you pass a message on to her, I have an idea."

Allan and Djaq sat in silence. Djaq was absentmindedly stroking Will's hair, trying to block out any thoughts that scared her. Allan gazed distantly into the fire, aware of the sleeping bodies around him. They were his friends and he cared about all of them, no matter how much they annoyed him.

He briefly looked over them before he returned his gaze to the fire. They all meant so much to him, even Much. Much was terribly annoying, and got on his nerves but he was still Allan's friend even if Much denied it.

John was like the grumpy granddad of the group. Allan looked up to him. He'd been through so much, but he still remained the same, consistent John.

Will was the first outlaw Allan really knew. The amount of time they'd spent travelling together, in the cell together, Will had almost become another younger brother to him. He could never replace Tom, no one could, but it didn't stop Allan feeling that way.

Then there was Daine. He knew so little about her, but it kept him interested. Allan liked the interesting girls. It was what had attracted him to Djaq, until he realised that her and him would never be as she loved Will not him, anyone could have seen it. But Daine, she was so fragile yet sturdy, Allan couldn't help but want to know what had done that to her.

In his morbid mood, Allan tried to make a joke to himself, I'm turning into Gisbourne! I want to 'know' Daine. He attempted a laugh but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Something moved in the corner of his eye. He turned in time to see Daine stir. He quietly moved to her side, as to not disturb anyone else. Djaq didn't notice them; she was too wrapped up in Will's hair.

Allan sat by Daine, to see her screw her eyes up, then slowly open them.

"What? Where am I? Is my brother here, I remember my brother." She tried to sit, but Allan softly pushed her back down. A soft expression was playing across his face. The fever was sending her crazy and he knew he had to tread softly, so to speak, around her.

"It's ok Daine, you need rest. Everything's fine, your brother was never here. It was just a very vivid bad dream that's all."

Her eyelids flitted down for a second before she fought back. Allan smiled at her; it was so like her to challenge everything, even illness.

"Everything's not fine." She croaked. "I'm wrapped up in the middle of summer beside a fire with three other people and I feel terrible. What's wrong with me Allan? And them?"

Allan knew she wouldn't accept a lie for an answer and would only press him more. It would be better for her if she found out now then rested.

"You're sick. You, Much, John and Will all have fevers. We think that it's from the beef we stole yesterday."

"Then why aren't you Robin and Djaq ill?" Her voice was getting weaker, and her eyes were no longer open. She was loosing consciousness.

"We didn't eat the beef. Djaq won't eat it, I'm not a huge fan and neither is Robin. We had lamb instead."

Daine tried to say, "Oh," but her voice cut out before and her head lolled to the side.

Allan sighed, then pushed her hair out of her face. Her restless sleeping was pulling it out of the bun Allan had tied in the early hours of the morning when she'd woken. A brief smiled flickered on her face when his hand touched her head, but it was soon replaced with a look of discomfort.

Dreamless sleep soon took hold of the girl once more, as Robin returned to camp. Allan and Djaq turned around as he entered.

"Anything?"

"Marian says the Sheriff is ill too. But someone planned it; they paid the chef to prepare the bad meat which we stole."

"Who wants the Sheriff out?"

"Many people."

"Never mind that," Djaq chipped in. "Is there any medicine? If the Sheriff is ill, then someone will be making some medicine."

"There's medicine. It's being made as we speak. Marian is going to tell Daine's nurse to make the right medicine, and then Allan and I are going to disguise ourselves as guards and get some. It'll be left for us to take."

They nodded.

"Djaq, can you stay and look after them?"

"Sure, but before you go, could you help me replace the water to cool them with?"

Robin and Allan nodded then helped her.

The room was filled with the scent of boiling medicines, herbs and all sorts. Marian had just left the castle after telling Maggie of Robin's plan. Maggie was more than willing to help. She was a nurse; it was her job to make people better.

Marian had confirmed the illness was from bad meat, and now Maggie knew exactly what to make, and how much to make as well. And that was what she was doing, in a small apothecary in the castle where she had an unlimited supply of what she needed.

Time passed slowly as the medicine brewed and stewed. Maggie had to get it just right. It's all about timing, stew it for too long and it doesn't work; don't stew it long enough and it won't work either.

Robin and Allan met up with Marian half way to Nottingham. She had guard's uniforms with her. They slipped into the uncomfortable heavy outfits.

"If anyone asks, you're returning from Knighton after delivering something to me. Guards change gate watch over every three hours, if suspicion rises, just say you left before they came on watch."

"Thank you Marian."

She smiled at Robin, then kicked her horse and rode away to Knighton.

Night was falling, and by the time Robin and Allan would get to Nottingham, it would be night.

Luckily they had taken horses with them for the journey, so they could arrive quickly.

Just before they got to Nottingham, they tethered the horses in the woods nearby, and out of sight. They adopted their guard manners and strode towards the gates. As expected, they were stopped.

"Where you two been then?" The guard at the gate looked at them suspiciously.

Allan spoke, as a pathological liar; he could make their story more feasible by just using his voice.

"Well, we had to go t'Knighton didn't we, deliver something to Lady Marian." Allan adopted a thick accent to cover his voice. He'd used it last time they were disguised as guards. Allan liked to think of it as his guard voice.

"I don't remember you leaving."

"We left before you came on duty. Look mate, we're here now, and we got a job to do."

The guard on the gate sighed. Allan had played him like a fool, because he brought their story and let them through with no further questions.

Robin and Allan chuckled to themselves as they hurriedly walked through the gates. But soon they were both under control and serious again. If Marian had spoken to Maggie, there should be a pot of medicine waiting for them in the castle apothecary.

Trouble was finding the place. Djaq had tried to direct them from when she was there, but she couldn't remember it that well. Plus, she'd been dragged and she wasn't taking in the surroundings.

After half an hour of walking around the castle, avoiding duty and trying to find apothecary, they ran into Gisbourne.

He looked lost in his thoughts, but seeing two guards out of place broke him out of his thoughts.

"What are you two doing?"

Allan thought quickly on the spot, he was good at that. He'd managed to lie his way out of things and get the best out of it so many times it had become a second nature.

"We're the new guard watch on t'apothecary. But, it's the first time we done it, and we don't know where it is."

Gisbourne rolled his eyes, where his guards really this useless? "Go down this corridor, and it's the door on the right. Get going."

"Thanks sir." Allan and Robin hurried in the direction that Gisbourne had said. It wasn't until Gisbourne had arrived in the Sheriff's room that he realised they didn't have a watch for the apothecary.

In the apothecary, sat a pot of medicine, waiting for Allan and Robin as promised. They grabbed the pot, then slipped away through the castle. They'd just about got out of the castle, when they met Gisbourne again, who looked very angry.

"I don't know who you are, but hand over whatever you've stolen and I may go easy on you."

"Not much of a compromise." Robin spoke, but in a guard voice still. If Gisbourne knew they had the medicine that he Sheriff was taking, then me might try and ambush while they were weak.

Gisbourne growled, then drew his sword.

A sinking feeling hit Allan and Robin, neither of them were armed. They looked at one another and nodded. They put their hands to their sides as if to draw their weapons. But instead of drawing their non-existent swords, they ran towards Gisbourne, throwing him off guard.

They continued running as Gisbourne got up. He yelled into the streets, "Don't let those two out!" Then he ran after them himself.

Unfortunately for Gisbourne, the gate guards didn't hear.

"What are you two doing here again?"

"S'our turn for gate watch."

The guards gave Allan a weird look. "I don't think so mate, we've got another half an hour yet."

"It's ya night off! Be thankful."

The guard paused a minute. "You two aren't guards."

"Fine, you got us." Allan had dropped his accent and returned to his normal voice. Before the guards could recognise them, Robin and Allan knocked them out and ran out of the gate towards the horses.

Gisbourne arrived at the gate to find two unconscious guards. Gisbourne had a feeling that the two fake guards were Hood and one of his men. If it had been any other day, he'd have gone after them, but with the Sheriff sick, his duty lay in Nottingham.

As soon as Robin and Allan had returned to the forest, they gave the medicine to their sick companions. On the side of the medicine pot was a set of instruction neatly written on a piece of paper.

It said to give them the medicine three times a day until the fever breaks. Then just once a day for three days.

The outlaws followed these instructions three days. On the third day, the fevers broke. Joy filled the camp as the ill outlaws all sat up, no longer shivering, no longer burning up.

This joy wasn't even broken when Djaq brought over the medicine.

Daine playfully grumbled like a spoiled five year old. Much wrinkled his nose, but they took the medicine.

"So what caused it then? The meat? Why would the chef have prepared bad meat, surely he would have seen it was bad."

Robin turned to the four that didn't know. "Someone spiked it. But who we don't know."

The Sheriff's fever also broke on the third day. But he still had to rest and take the medicine. When Gisbourne came into his room with news of what happened over the days he was unconscious, he said, "Our chef Gisbourne, he knew the meat was bad."

"How do you know sir?"

"Well, I can finally think clearly now and I thought this. That meat was off enough for someone to notice, but he turned a blind's eye. This made me think another thought. Do you know what it is Gisbourne?"

"Arrest him my Lord?"

"A clue: no. Hang him."

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