Chapter Fourteen

We continue right where we left off.

Robin advanced on the crouching Guy, not sparing a glance at Allan, who he knew must be watching them. He was fully intent on exploiting his momentary triumph.

"What's it feel like, Gisborne, to have everything you've worked for, that you've corrupted yourself for, taken away in a heartbeat with three little words: you're an outlaw! Stings, doesn't it?" He was barely two feet away and looked down on Gisborne in contempt.

"I've lost everything."

Robin could barely hear Guy's broken whisper. He seemed to be speaking only to himself. "Yes, you have."

Guy lifted his head, slowly, and met Robin's eyes. "Again."

Robin's grin froze on his face. What he saw staring back at him was not the expected hatred or fury; it was not even despair.

Robin was met with an accusing stare that couldn't manage to mask the immense amount of pain. He had seen that look from those steel-blue orbs before, once in his life. When a young Guy had been driven from Locksley after the fire, he'd thrown this look around before he had taken his sister's hand and had fled into the night.

Back then Robin had stared at Guy in pure hatred. Now… he couldn't hold his gaze.

Robin lowered his eyes and took a step back. His throat felt dry and he swallowed with difficulty. Then he took a deep breath and came to a decision.

"Alright, Gisborne. I'm only gonna say this once; so you better listen." Robin turned aside as if he couldn't bear to look at Guy's slowly rising form. "It was wrong of me to let Bailiff Longthorne chase you away back then." He threw a glance at Guy and saw surprise widen his eyes. "I should have stopped him. But… I was only a boy."

Guy had stood up and was staring at Robin in silence.

"So was I," his voice, when it finally came, was barely above a whisper.

Robin subconsciously noted that this was the first time the both of them had openly acknowledged that they shared a past. But his conscious mind was busy defending himself.

"I was… I'd just lost my father!" He immediately realized his mistake.

"So had I," Guy took a step away from the wall. "And my mother!"

Robin cringed. He saw Guy grip the pommel of his sword. His hand went to his own sword at his side. "But it was you who started the fire!"

"No," Guy drew his word and advanced. "Your father threatened to… I only wanted to stop him… and then…I didn't… it was an accident!"

Allan watched the two men circle each other. Robin had drawn his sword, too.

"Look, Guys," he lifted his hands. "I have no idea what you're talking about but…"

"Stay out of this, Allan!" Robin bellowed. He hadn't taken his eyes off Guy.

"I'd love to, believe me." Allan threw a quick look behind. "But I think we should leave, now."

The two men didn't seem to have heard. They were slowly approaching each other, swords drawn and ready to attack. But not one blow had fallen yet.

Allan drew his own sword. "Guys, someone's coming!"

The flickering light of torches slowly crept along the tunnel walls from where Allan and Guy had come from and Allan could hear footsteps splashing through the water. He turned into the direction Robin had come from earlier. Right now that way seemed to be clear.

"Guys, come on!" He tried to get the others' attention. "We need to get out of here!"

His whole body wanted to make a run for it and yet Allan waited for Guy and Robin to snap out of it. Finally Guy's head turned towards the approaching torchlights. With their gazes broken Robin finally seemed to understand the danger, too. He sheathed his sword and grabbed his bow instead. In the blink of an eye an arrow was drawn and poised.

Voices started to drift towards them. Robin took a few steps in their direction and then fired his arrow. The second it had left his bow another one was drawn. He threw a quick look back.

"Run!"

Allan started to at once but Guy didn't move a muscle. "I don't take orders from you!"

"Then you die," Robin shrugged and with one last look at him quickly followed Allan down the tunnels. He passed the pillar he'd hidden behind before and rounded the next corner, only to almost smash into Allan's back.

"More guards," Allan beckoned behind him.

"Shit," Robin cursed and looked around.

"Where's Giz?" Allan waited for the other man to emerge and Robin stopped and listened for Gisborne's footsteps. He seemed to have decided to take orders after all and, judging by the sound of splashed running, he wasn't far behind.

Robin turned back and concentrated on finding an escape route. He spotted a small opening in the tunnel to his left and pulled Allan towards it.

"Giz, come on. This way!" Allan shouted and then stumbled after Robin. He could hear Guy's steps and hoped the man would know where they'd gone.

Robin had run ahead but now he turned back to Allan and asked: "So, what happened?"

Allan raised an eyebrow. "You wanna discuss this now?"

"Why not?" Robin smirked back. "Nothing better to do. And I have to admit that I'm dying to know what Gisborne did to be tossed out on his ear."

"I don't really know," Allan admitted between two puffs of breath.

That stopped Robin dead in his tracks. He stared at Allan. "You don't know?"

"Well, not exactly, no. "Allan shrugged and shoved Robin to get him going again. "I came in and Guy had the Sheriff against the wall, a dagger at his throat. Then the guards stormed in and the Sheriff broke free and yelled to arrest Giz. So I punched him in the face and we ran."

"You punched Gisborne? Or the Sheriff?" Robin was confused.

"Both, actually," Allan grinned. "First I punched the Sheriff and then I slapped Giz to get him out of his funk. He was just… frozen, I guess. I don't think he knew what he'd just done."

Robin frowned. "But you've no idea why Gisborne attacked the Sheriff?"

Allan didn't answer but merely shrugged. The truth was, he didn't know for sure what had happened but he could guess that it had to have something to do with the botched-up proposal and the Sheriff's threat to force Marian into marriage. And, if the creep that he'd seen arrive at the castle had been the Sheriff's candidate, then Allan really couldn't blame Guy for snapping and acting the way he'd had.

But he couldn't tell Robin, could he? It wasn't his place. Marian had to be the one to tell Robin, if she so decided. He wouldn't betray her trust. And anyway, he didn't really know for sure, did he? Guy hadn't said much.

Speaking of…

"Where's Guy?" Allan stopped and pulled Robin to a halt, too. Together they listened for footsteps. What they heard instead was the distant but unmistakeable sound of fighting. Swords clanked and different voices shouted. Then there were moans and more fighting.

And then they heard Guy cry out in pain.

"Shit," Allan started in the direction they'd come from but stopped when he realized that he was alone. He turned around. "Robin?"

Robin gave a minute headshake and looked at Allan. His face was, for once, deadly serious. "It's too late, listen."

Allan's eyes widened. The fighting had stopped. He heard the sounds of swords being sheathed and something heavy being dragged through the water and then the voices began to drift away. His gaze met Robin's again. "We can't just leave him!"

"It's too late," Robin repeated. "There's nothing we can do."

"But…"

"Allan, listen," Robin's voice was stern and sympathetic at once. "He's either dead or badly wounded and unconscious. And there're at least a dozen guards. We can't fight them all and drag his body out at the same time. We'd never make it!"

Allan paled. "Still…"

Robin walked up to him and took his arm. "Come on, you can't help him anymore. We need to get out of here."

Allan went along, not really caring where. Thankfully no more guards came their way and Robin led him around several corners until they reached a small grate-covered opening. Allan realized that it had to be the shaft Robin had entered the castle through earlier. The grate was loose and behind he could see faint daylight.

Robin pulled the metal bars aside and hopped into the opening. Allan watched him slowly vanish inside.

"No," he suddenly mumbled and took a step back. "This is wrong. This is not what we do."

"Allan, listen," Robin tried to take his arm but he was halfway down the shaft already and Allan had taken another step away.

"No, Robin," Allan stated forcefully. "You listen to me. We don't leave anyone behind." His eyes gleamed. "You taught me that, you and the gang. We don't just leave."

"He's not one of us, Allan," Robin reminded the other man.

"Neither am I anymore, remember? And besides, he's not one of them either," Allan turned around and ran back the way they'd come from. Robin watched him vanish down the tunnel.

"Damn it!" What was he supposed to do now?

Marian had somehow managed to go back to sleep after her strange dream and when she woke up for a second time, she noticed that she was alone in the small chamber.

Fanny must have risen very quietly.

Marian sat up. Although some remnants of the dream were still floating through her head, she felt well rested and much calmer than before. The anger that had consumed her previously (for the Sheriff, for her current predicament and for Guy) had already started to subside when she'd listened to Fanny earlier. No, Marian realized, her anger for Guy had actually started to lessen before that.

Allan had somehow managed to make her see that, while the way in which he had proposed to her hadn't been the best, Guy's intention had indeed been to offer help. Oh, make no mistake about it; he'd acted quite selfishly of course. Guy didn't want to lose her and so he'd sought to eliminate the Sheriff's threat by tying her to him instead.

He should have known that she'd never simply agree, shouldn't he? But Marian couldn't doubt anymore that Guy had real feelings for her.

She sighed and tried to steer her thoughts away from Guy. She had far more important things on her mind, hadn't she?

Marian knew that she couldn't avoid Robin forever. He'd soon learn about her flight from the castle and then he would search heaven and hell for her. And when he'd found her, she should know what to tell him. Marian let out another sigh.

"But first," she said determined and stood up from the bed, "I need to eat something."

Her stomach was rumbling and she wasn't sure how much time had passed since breakfast. But it had to have been several hours at least.

She quickly freshened up a bit and then exited the chamber.

The sight that greeted her in the main room of the Watt's house had Marian stop and stare openly. Margery was sitting at the table, peeling potatoes. Fanny was nestled in a comfortable rocking chair by the window, several thick blankets pulled around her frail shoulders, and she was darning socks. By her feet on the ground Luke was playing with a pup. He was teasing the young dog with a thread and from time to time was laughing happily. And there on the windowsill was Crispin, carving something from a thick block of wood on his lap. He was listening raptly to his grandmother's quiet voice.

But when Marian entered everyone looked her way and the room grew silent. Marian blushed.

Was this what a real family looked like?

"My dear," Fanny stopped her darning and waved her over. "Come and sit with me. I was just telling the boys the story of how a young Robin of Locksley and Guy of Gisborne got themselves trapped in a well over night."

Marian walked to her and, stepping over Luke and the dog, quickly took a seat by her side.

"I wasn't really listening," Luke whispered conspiringly. "I've heard that one a thousand times already. And it's not even a good one."

"You just don't like it because it's Robin that got them into the mess and Guy's the clever one that gets them out in the end," Crispin stated with a small smile. Marian stared at him, surprised. But not just surprised by his words; she was startled to see how a small smile seemed to completely lighten up his face.

"Tell us a different story, Granny," Luke begged. "The one with the goat. That's funny!"

"No!" Crispin cried. "You've got to finish this one first."

Marian's eyes travelled between the boys before they came to rest on Granny. The old woman was watching her closely.

"Why don't we let Marian decide?"

Marian swallowed. She'd love to hear the story about the well but somehow Granny's intense stare told her that if she'd ask for it, she'd be admitting to much more than just an interest in a childhood memory.

In the end Marian decided that it didn't matter; Fanny would not judge her for it. "I'd like to hear all the stories there are but first you should finish the one you've already started. It wouldn't be fair otherwise."

Luke groaned in annoyance while Crispin smirked triumphantly. Marian smiled back at the older boy while she sent Luke an apologetic shrug.

Then she turned to Granny and, seeing the woman's knowing smile, blushed again. Was it wrong to want to know more about the two men in her life?

When Robin arrived back at the camp he went straight to his cot and lay down. Much, John, Will and Djaq shared confused looks and shrugs.

"Robin?" Much finally approached his master. "Is everything alright?"

"No!" Robin shouted and sprang up. He started pacing back and forth and Djaq, John and Will quickly stumbled out of his way. Only Much remained by his master's side and tried rather awkwardly to match his stride. It didn't work so well and soon enough Robin stumbled over Much's feet.

The former manservant received a glare and a shove.

"Alright," Much sprang back and held up his hands in peace. "That's enough! Tell us what happened. Did Marian know why Gisborne's suddenly an outlaw?"

"Marian is gone!" Robin muttered under his breath.

"Gone?"

"Yeah, apparently she fled the castle in the middle of the night and no one has seen her since. The servants say that the Sheriff wanted some visiting Lord to marry her and that's why she ran away. Vaisey has every guard looking for her in every surrounding village. Well," Robin shrugged and looked up at Much. "Every guard apart from the ones he used to track down Gisborne and Allan in the sewers, that is."

The others had dared to approach again while Robin had been speaking, and it was Will who now addressed him. "Did you find out what Gisborne did to become an outlaw?"

"According to Allan he tried to kill the Sheriff. He had a dagger at his throat when Allan found them. But he doesn't know why."

"You spoke to Allan?" Djaq asked, but before Robin could answer Much suddenly interrupted: "What I don't understand is where Marian is! If she ran away, why didn't she come here? Where is she?"

Robin shrugged his shoulders, looking rather lost.

"Marian runs away the same time that Gisborne tries to kill the Sheriff… OH!"

The others had kept the very same thought to themselves but of course Much didn't have that kind of insight. He blurted out: "Isn't that a rather weird coincidence? What if they…?"

Robin's glare shut him up rather quickly.

"Marian and Gisborne running away together?" It was John's turn to voice his thoughts. "That I do not like."

"They did not run away together!" Robin stated rather forcefully. The thought alone let his blood boil, even though he knew it to be not true. "Gisborne was caught just now."

Robin sat down on his cot and told the others what had happened in the sewers. When he'd finished, an awkward silence filled the camp.

Finally Djaq was the first to comment. "Do you think he's dead? Gisborne, I mean."

Robin briefly shook his head. "I don't know. I think the Sheriff would want him back alive, if only to do the deed himself. So, nah, I guess they just wounded him."

Silence fell again. Then Djaq once again dared to voice what was on all their minds: "So Gisborne was caught, Allan decided to risk his life to help him and you…?"

"I didn't," Robin sighed and closed his eyes. "I left them behind."

"Well, of course you did!" Much exclaimed confused. "Why should you risk your life for Gisborne?"

Djaq shared a look with Will and he seemed to understand her silently. They weren't thinking about Gisborne.

It was Allan that occupied both their thoughts. Allan, who had risked his life for Gisborne. Allan, who had not abandoned the man.

Allan, who had been their friend.

Will gave Djaq a determined nod and stood up. "We go to Nottingham."

The others stared at him in shock. John stood up as well. "For Gisborne? No! We do not rescue Gisborne! We stay!"

Much agreed with a heartily nod.

"We go to Nottingham, for Allan," Djaq stated and came to stand beside Will. She turned towards Robin. "Scouting only, promise. But we need to find out what happened."

Robin slowly nodded. He felt bad for abandoning Allan (and Gisborne – but only a little). But finding Marian was his top priority.

"Alright, here's what we do: you two," he nodded at Will and Djaq, "find out if Allan's in the dungeons. The rest of us, we find Marian. John, go to Clun. Much, you take Nettlestone. I'll look in Knighton. We meet back here tonight, no matter what we find out. Understood?"

The last part was meant mostly for Will and Djaq. The pair nodded and one after the other they filed out of the camp.

It would be a busy day.

I had to post this chapter now because I decided I couldn't leave you with the cliffhanger from the last chapter for a whole week. Though in hindsight I doubt that this one's less cliffhanger-y. Sorry. I won't be able to post more till next weekend. Please keep the wonderful reviews coming in the meantime.