Chapter Ten: "What did you think I would do?"

Will moved silently down the ramparts. Once he pushed himself against a wall as a guard walked by, but he turned a corner and the footsteps disappeared. Letting out a sigh of relief, Will turned and went to where he wanted to be – the tower window. It was small, probably only a foot in diameter and two feet in height.

Will looked at it, almost as if rethinking his plan, then shook his head. He tossed his coil of rope in, then putting his legs in, he let out his breath and slid through.

He landed, picked up the coil of rope and looked around him. It was dark, but he ran his hands along the walls until his night vision adjusted.

Moving in and out of shadows, he got down to the dungeons without being noticed. He grimaced as he saw the jailor sitting at a small table, his back against the wall, but the grimace turned into a look of disgust as he realized the jailor was snoring, sound asleep.

Will walked up quietly to him, flipped out his ax, and hit him on the head. "Sweet dreams," he said. His fingers went to the man's belt and quickly slid off the ring of keys. "Thanks."

He hurried down the cells, most of which housed a prisoner, some more than one. "Luke?" he called in a loud whisper.

"Will!?"

"Luke!" Will ran over to the cell where Luke had his face pressed against the bars. "Will! What are you doing here?"

"Training elephants," said Will dryly. He peered at the lock, then flipped through the keys until he found the right one. He had the door open in less than a minute, and he pulled Luke into a fierce hug. They stood there for a moment, then Will pulled away. "Come on, you have to get out of here."

"I'm not complaining," said Luke. "The sheriff was really angry at you. What did you do? All I know is that I was grabbed, shoved in the cell, and told that you'd better come for me or I was dead!"

"I'll explain everything, but we really should be outside when I do," said Will. "Follow me."

Luke followed Will back out the way he came, using the grappling hook again to help them get back out. Once they dropped down the walls, they ran back for Sherwood. They tore through the forest, knowing that it would not be long before Luke's absence was discovered.

They stopped a ways away from the camp, and Will looked at Luke. "Luke…"

"What?" panted Luke.

"Are you all right?"

"Aside from being hungry and now exhausted, I'm fine," said Luke. "Why?"

"They didn't hurt you?"

"Not really," said Luke.

"What do you mean, 'not really'?" demanded Will.

Luke looked surprised at his brother's sharp tone. "What's wrong, Will?"

Will took a deep breath. "Just answer the question."

"A guard punched me in the face. But I'm fine," said Luke, looking anxiously at his older brother. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said Will. "Come on."

As soon as the two reached the clearing, Will stopped. Robin was leaning against a tree opposite them, his face dark. "Will!"

"Robin, look, I-"

"You what?" demanded Robin, striding forward. "I can't believe you did that!"

"What did you think I would do?"

"You could have gotten yourself killed!"

"I didn't," said Will.

"What's going on?" asked Luke anxiously.

Robin continued talking, hardly noticing Luke. "In your condition – Djaq told you not even to sit up!"

"Well, I did, and I'm alive, aren't I?" shouted Will. Luke jumped. Will hardly ever raised his voice at all.

Robin grabbed his head with his hands, then dropped then and looked at Will. Will stiffened, expecting something like more sharp rebukes, but instead Robin pulled him into a hug.

Will felt relief overwhelm him, and he embraced Robin back with his good arm.

"I'm glad you're all right," said Robin, releasing him and then looking at Luke. "And I see you did what you set out to do."

"Is that Will? Will! Will, I am going to kill you!" Djaq's thickly accented voice came before Will could see her. He backed up instinctively as she flew at him, hugging him as well and being careful to miss his broken arm. "You are a foolish, stupid man!"

Luke saw the muscles in his brother's jaw move, like it always did when he was either angry or holding back some other strong emotion. "Will? What am I missing?"

"Will should not even have gotten out of bed!" exclaimed Djaq.

"Why not?"

"He was held in the sheriff's dungeons," spat the Saracen, "and tortured."

Luke went pale and looked at his brother. "You were?"

Will nodded after a reluctant moment.

"And you still came after me?"

Another nod.

"And you climbed up and down that rope with a broken arm?"

Another nod and a "You what!?" from Djaq.

Soon everyone was awake and crowding around Will, demanding the whole story and hugging Will and Luke.

The next morning, Will was looking at Luke. "Well, it's time to go," he said.

"Yeah," said Luke, looking down. "Back to Scarborough." He looked up and wrapped his arms around his older brother. "Will, be careful. You're the only family I've got left."

"I will," Will promised, hugging Luke tightly.

Luke finally released him, trying to blink back tears. "Good."

Robin saw Luke off, then returned to camp where Will was looking at the fire. Saffia Wren was next to him, cooing softly and looking contented.

"Well, now we only have one more problem," he said, looking at the baby. "Finding out whose baby that is."