Part 10
Deep within the forest they came to a halt and dismounted. Robin was a little unsteady on his feet.
"Whoa!" said Little John as he caught him and lowered him to the ground.
"Was he hurt in the fight?" asked Djaq to the others, coming to Robin's side.
"No…I mean Guy had him flogged the day we were captured, what a week ago?" Much said with a shrug.
Marian had slid down the nearest tree trunk when she had dismounted and watched from a distance wanting to run over and be by Robin's side but not wanting to faint as embarrass herself in the process. She fingered her throat and winced as she swallowed, Gisborne had gripped her well. Propped up against the tree she tried to focus on breathing in and out but Robin and Djaq became blurry and she knew no more.
"Well?" asked Little John when Robin's back was revealed.
"It is not too bad the welts are healing but a little sore still. I would imagine it is more likely he is exhausted from lack of nourishment and the fight that he recently executed… Food," she said looking up to the men standing around, "if we can find it, for Robin, Much and the King."
"I'll go and catch something," muttered Will.
"I'll help," announced Carter.
Much went to assist them and Djaq added. "You sit there; one down is bad enough, do not move until you have rested and eaten."
"Two," said the King unexpectedly from where he too exhausted rested against a tree trunk.
"Pardon Your Majesty?" said Much.
"Two," he repeated and nodded in the direction of Marian.
"Oh no!" Much exclaimed, while Allan and Little John went to her side.
"Marian! Marian" Little John called quietly and Djaq left Robin and joined them.
She examined her throat. "Is she dying?" asked Allan.
"No," said Djaq "I suspect the exertion of the day was too much for a lady who should not be gallivanting around Europe in a condition such as she."
"What about her neck? Gisborne held her pretty tight." Little John asked.
"Yes, some bruising, sit with her, offer some water, she will be fine." She added and returned to Robin's side where she bathed his semi healed welts caused by the beating.
"The child?" The Count asked concern in his tone.
Djaq looked up at him and said. "Will be fine; just let Marian rest a while. I am not sure riding across Europe on horseback is best for her but what choice do we have?"
"Child what child?" asked Much blankly. The remaining gang members looked at each other and then back at Much. Who added, "you mean, Marian and Robin are… He didn't tell me. Why didn't he tell me? We were in that cell over a week, why didn't he say?"
"He does not know. Don't you go telling him either," Little John answered.
"Oh, well that is different then, if he didn't know. How come you all know?" Much asked indignant.
"Well," said Allan. "That's another story…."
0o0
Will and Carter caught a handful of rabbits and returned to the camp to find everyone conscious if not a little worse for wear. Robin, Much, the King and Marian seemed pale but apart from that normal, as normal as it was for them to be hiding in a forest in Germany.
They ate the food that Carter prepared and cooked and then discussed their next plan of action. It was decided that they would all ride back to France via Friedrich's castle, gain supplies and travel onto King Richard's home in France, where they would then debate on their next course of action. No one breathed a word about the baby, even though Robin who was conscious by then had the distinct feeling that he was missing something important.
0o0
The party settled down for the night the forest floor their bed which consisted of a mattress of leaves. Three small fires burnt amid the encampment. Marian lay down next to Robin under one of the few blankets they had in total for the party and he groaned in protest as she took half for herself.
Waking from his part slumber he asked. "Where have you been?"
"Nowhere….just…."
"Oh," he replied in realisation. "The call of nature." She sighed as if she was cross with him and he added. "What?"
"Nothing." She replied shortly.
"Marian," he said with mild humour in his tone. He rolled over onto his side and propped his head up with his elbow as she lay facing him. "Something is going on and everyone seems to know about it except me."
This time it was her turn to say. "Oh!"
"'Oh!' you have no idea of what I am talking about? Or 'oh!' I will have to tell my husband something I wish he rather not know?" He queried still with amusement.
"Neither exactly," she said into a smile he could just make out.
"So?"
"Here," she said and took his hand. He gave her a look of puzzlement and she rested it on her gentle curved stomach, his eyes widened in amaze and acknowledgment of what it meant.
"How long have you known?" he asked, his voice a mere whisper.
"A while," she admitted.
"Marian!" Robin replied slightly louder than he intended and John looked up only to lie back down once more.
"August perhaps…" She shrugged. "I didn't know for sure but about then."
"August!" he whispered loudly back. "Before or after we stood before the priest?"
"Before and it was your idea about the priest," she added with a smile.
"Why did you not say?"
"I think you know the answer to that," she sighed, "and when you were taken prisoner I wish I had."
He sighed deeply and replied, "I wish I had said a lot of things too that I did not say….."
"I thought about you every night in that cell and sometimes I had dreams…." She confessed.
"What dreams?" he questioned his hand now stroking her arm, up and down repeatedly comforting, reassuring.
"That you might die, that we," she went on indicating herself and their child. "Might never see you again. That he or she would have only the pleasure of knowing you through stories which were told."
"I thought about you too, ask Much."
They chuckled quietly at that knowing that on the journey to France Much would no doubt relive almost every waking moment he had spent in the cell, boring everyone to tears. They fell silent and just enjoyed being in the presence of one another.
"Your back does it still hurt?" she asked eventually.
"Not as much now."
"Good." She said softly. "If anything had happened…."
"It didn't." he replied just as quietly.
"Kiss me," she added in the merest of whispers.
This was a request he was not going to turn down the opportunity of. Robin covered her soft and willing mouth with his and the kiss took on a life of its own. She moaned softly and he settled his palm against her curves before it took off with its own agenda. With a love deep and profound their bodies tuned as one. Later Robin turned onto his side and let her nestle in to his embrace holding both of those he loved close to his heart.
