LOCKSLEY

Marian was sat on top of the fence in Locksley watching as the gang continued to hand out.

She had her arms folded around herself, knees pulled up towards her chest slightly where her feet rested on the strut and cross bar beneath the fence slat she sat on.

Robin walked over to her sadly and handed her a cup of water.

"Here." He said gently.

She sighed and took it from him with a small sigh, sipping it.

He stroked her knee gently and she smiled at him sadly, handing him the water back.

"IT'S ROBIN HOOD!"

There was the sound of hammering horse hooves and Robin and Marians head snapped up to see several men at arms, led by the infamous Blamire, racing towards the village.

"Get them!"

Robin grabbed Marian and helped her down off of the fence.

"Let's get out of here!" He bellowed to his men.

"Now!"

People started to scatter out of fright as the guards shoved them out of the way, grabbing them and throwing them around as they dismounted and tried to rush towards Robin and his men.

John saw them grab a young woman and he roared in rage, forgetting Robins command about leaving and saving themselves.

He slammed his staff against the offending guard's helmet and sent him to the floor.

"You don't touch these people!" He roared.

More guards were upon John then.

He spun, fighting them, but he got no break or time to make his escape.

"Kill him!" Blamire roared, still atop his horse.

Robin and the gang who were running up the hill towards the forest spun, hearing Blamire's words and realising they were one short on numbers.

"John!" Robin shouted.

Marian watched as the guards attacked John and threw children around.

There was the sound of children screaming and crying, parents yelling for them to stop.

Marian was incensed, they wanted them, so why would they torment these villagers.

She drew her sword; her grief over the children she could see became the source of her anger.

"Marian no!" Robin made to grab her but she dove forwards out of his grip, sprinting to help John.

Robin could only watch as Marian spun, swinging her sword across a guards shoulders and sending him to the floor in front of John.

He looked to her in surprise.
"Marian!"

Robin set off at a terrific pace with his sword drawn.

The gang followed, not by instruction, but by duty and compelled feelings to remain as a team.

A guard raced up behind Marian and made to swing his sword down over her back but he was wrenched backwards by Robins grip and sent cold to the floor as the archer's sword slammed trough his body.

The gang were like a raging wave upon some of the guards.

Robin had to reluctantly move away from Marian to fight his own guard.

John realised the mistake he had made, and linked it to the one Marian had made when she had first joined the gang when they had met Carter.

She spun and ducked, slamming her foot against the guards chest and send him backwards.

She moved to fight another but the man's arm shot forwards with his sword.

She felt a shoot of pain through her arm and John knocked him out with his staff, moving without a backward glance to fight another guard.

She spun to attack another guard.

The guards were fleeing, and those who remained to fight were sent to the floor quickly by the gang.

The rest of the soldiers scattered. Being frantic and afraid, Blamire's horse read because of the noise and Blamire was sent to the floor with a thud.

He struggled upright as Robin sent his guard to the floor with a swing of his sword and fist.

The man scrambled atop the saddle, forgetting their mission to search the village for Isabella.

He rode out of Locksley quickly, leaving his remaining groaning guards on the floor at the mercy of the outlaws.

Running on adrenalin and gasping for breath, Marian couldn't feel the pulsing pain above her elbow.

Robin stalked around, sheathing his sword and wiping his mouth on the back of his hand.

The gang moved to stand in a group, the villagers starting to move out of their houses to look at them.

Marian walked over to them, sheathing her sword.

"John." Will sighed in frustration.

Djac sighed.

Robin shook his head and put his hands on his hips.

Marian walked over, knowing that Robin was not happy.

As her breathing slowed, she could feel the pain in her arm.

She hissed in pain and grabbed her arm in a tight fist.

She could feel that her sleeve was wet against her palm.

Robin walked over to her.

What had she been thinking?

Why did she have to be like this, whenever she was upset, just to throw herself into fights?

Her saw her holding her arm.

His anger blazed along with his worry.

"Let me see." He said firmly and held his hand out.

"It is fine…" She said and moved to step around him.

He caught her other wrist gently.

"Robin…"

"Let me see." He said in a low voice.

She slowly let him take hold of the hand that was attached to her scratched arm.

"It is just a scratch." She said.

She said nothing, eyes stirring with intense emotion as he tore at her sleeve, pulling it away from her shirt.

Her examined her cut and ripped the sleeve he held further, wrapping it in a form of bandage around her 'scratch'.

"It is nothing." She said, and it was true, it was barely a scratch, and his fingers seemed to soothe the mild irritation that she felt around it.

However, it glared red in Robin's eyes, and made his anger rise.

"Why do you have to do it?" He snapped.

She stared at him, "Do what?"

"Throw yourself into fights?"

"What like you do?" She demanded, not appreciating his tone one bit.

"And I do not have to explain myself to you…"

"What do you mean?" Robin snapped, "'like you do'?"

"Just now, you couldn't let me handle this…" She was growing angrier and angrier.

They stood in the middle of Locksley village, screaming at one another.

"The odds were against you Marian." He snapped, "I had to do it to save your life."

"I was doing it to save Johns life!" She shouted, "You charge in because you like to be the hero, like today… because you seek glory…"

"I did what I had to today because I love you!" He shouted.

She stared at him angrily, his voice ringing through the village.

"Well then maybe that is the problem." She shouted.

He stared at her angrily.

They were both hurting, both upset over the children so close to them; and not the one they wanted most.

Without another word he stepped around her and walked back up towards the forest.

Marian turned and followed, the gang following with sad looks.

They knew that Robin and Marian were upset because of the infants and children that surrounded them.

As usual, their hurt developed into anger and turned it at one another.