Thank you.

Part 10

Anya sat up and winced, she felt battered and bruised she just hoped the bruises would come out and she would appear sufficiently marred as if she had been attacked. Splitting her own lip had been the most difficult and painful thing but as she gingerly examined her reflection in a stream she had come across, she knew it would be worth it. Taking a moment to get her bearings she headed off, in the direction of which she had come; the outlaws camp.

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Robin surveyed the man he had known in the Holy Land, he was younger than himself by perhaps a year or two and had come from a family, the second son of a Merchant, who was based near the city of London. From what Robin could remember he had been married with children when he left for war. Robin also knew that Eli had been in debt and in order for the debt to be cleared a life as a soldier in the crusades had been Eli's only way out.

He jumped down from the beam on which he had been sitting and startled Eli, to stand, his chair thrown backwards falling with a clunk as it hit the hard floor and Eli followed, landing on his backside with a thud.

"R-R-Robin" he stammered out "I didn't expect to see you here"

"I expect not"

"And you an outlaw, who could believe it?" Eli gave a nervous laugh.

"Who indeed? And how did you know?"

"Your name; Robin Hood is known for miles around"

"As far as the Holy Land?" Robin replied unimpressed and untrusting.

"I was sent back"

"Were you now?"

"Like your good self"

"And have you anything to show for being sent back?"

"I committed a fine act of bravery"

"Really?"

Eli laughed bitterly "You think that you are the only one who was sent back from the Holy Land with honours? I can assure you, you are not"

"I do not expect I am. However, I highly doubt you were"

"You have no reason to doubt I tell the truth"

"Have I not? I recall the day you tried to blame my manservant for something for which you were responsible and another time you attempted to lay the blame at my own feet"

"I do not know what you are talking about"

"Oh" said Robin taking a step closer to the man who was still on the floor and towering above him, casting shadow over his face "I think you probably do, I do not give you credit for much brain but I think you can remember when you tried to outsmart and trap us, with crimes of your own doing….I just pity your wife….poor woman. And where is she? I see no sign of a woman's presence here"

"My second wife will be joining me shortly"

"Oh you have married again, you do surprise me, what became of your first wife? You remember the one you left in London while you went to fight in the crusade to save your sorry butt"

"I do not believe that is any concern of yours. If rumour has it you left behind a fiancée when you joined up"

"That is no consequence to you and at least I was not married with children. What about them in all this?"

"Times are hard; we have to do whatever we feel best to keep ourselves alive"

"You, you had responsibilities"

"Didn't you? Weren't you a Lord, with numerous populations to care for?"

"We are not talking about me? We are talking about you I would never have left my wife, my children if there was any other way out, and if there had been no way out then I would have fled and taken them with me"

"You heard the story I had to leave, I had no choice"

"You always have a choice" Robin said very quietly, that Eli barely heard him.

"Seems like you have regretted one or two of your own"

Robin ignored this comment and carried on "So what is your purpose here?"

"I am Lord of this manor, or I will be when the Sheriff announces it in a few days time, in honour for my duty and bravery in the crusades"

"There is something that you are not telling me and when I find out what it is, so help me…..I will….." he trailed off as he heard the approach of a carriage out the front of the Hall and almost as if he had never been there at all, slipped out the back. Ell was still sitting on the floor when the Sheriff and Gisborne entered.