Author's Note: Sorry for the mix up with the chapters. I've fixed it now.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

The Long Road Home by Ecri

Part 11: Consequences

Will's movement gave Robin hope. That was all he needed. He felt his brother turn slightly towards him, but there wasn't much he could do for him. He could just about keep Will on the horse…Will couldn't hold on with his arms wrapped in the cloaks, and Robin knew that even if he could, his brother would have no strength. He could only hope that Will hadn't been in that damnable cage for the entire time he'd been missing. Last night had been one of the windiest, coldest days he'd ever experienced. He'd wondered if his memory of English winters had diminished over the years he'd spent in the Holy Land, but Fanny had assured him it wasn't so.

Azeem had glared at Robin all morning finally telling him that he could not imagine why everyone on the English Isle hadn't fled en masse to warmer climes.

As he rode, he felt Will stiffen against him and then shiver violently for a moment or two before falling deathly still once more. His heart leapt to his throat, and he dug his heels hard into his horse's flanks shouting until the animal was forced into a gallop reckless for this terrain. He heard Azeem's shouts as the Moor struggled to keep up, but somehow he managed it.

In record time, he and Azeem made it to Lady Marian's castle.

Robin dismounted and dragged Will from the horse. Hurrying to the door, he found it open and Marian standing waiting for him. "I've had spotters on the roof. I hoped you might bring him here. Your room is ready." She gestured to the stairs, following him closely with Azeem close behind.

The room was more than ready. Somehow Marian had anticipated everything. There were towels and water and a blazing fire. There were perhaps a dozen blankets on the bed, and Robin quickly slipped Will under them. He stepped aside then allowing Azeem easy access to Will.

Azeem fussed over Will. "He is too cold. We must warm him. He may become feverish before he is well again." Azeem touched Will's side and the young man groaned weakly and tried to move away. "He has broken bones, but I will bandage him later. We must warm him."

Marian handed Robin a cup full of a hot steaming liquid. "I have made a weak broth," She said. "It's warming and he has likely not eaten in some time." She moved to the fire and brought out a bed warmer already full of hot coals. She slipped it between the sheets, much to Azeem's surprise.

"You will set the bed ablaze!" Azeem declared.

"It has been known to happen," Marian admitted, "but we will keep an eye on it."

Robin tried to get Will to take the broth, but he was still mostly unconscious, and getting him to swallow was difficult. Will could only seem to manage a few sips before it became too much for him. Robin did not move from Will's side, but after an hour, he turned to Azeem. "He seems no warmer, my friend! Surely there's more we can do."

Azeem thought for a moment. "Get into bed with him, Christian. The warmth of your body my bring him around."

Robin climbed into the bed and cradled the limp form of his only brother to his chest. It couldn't end like this. His head spun and his heart ached at the thought that he could still lose his brother—this man whom he had never known, but whose life had somehow become more important to him than his own.

Again, it was Will's stillness that terrified him. He hadn't made a move or tried to speak since the slurred attempt to say Robin's name while they were riding to Marian's home. The lifelessness was disconcerting, and more than once, Robin had to check to see if he were still breathing.

"Azeem…is he…"

Azeem cut off the question. "He is suffering from the cold. You're cursed homeland is the coldest place I have ever been. He was hung high in the air in an open area with no shoes, no shirt, no cloak…I am amazed that the infidel who put him up there allowed him to keep as much clothing as he did!" Azeem visibly attempted to calm himself. Robin had not seen him so angry in all the time he'd known the Moor.

"Forgive me, Christian," Azeem said in a quieter tone. "I do not like to see anyone suffer, and when those in power force the suffering upon those who have none, I am afraid my reason leaves me."

Robin nodded. "I understand, my friend. Do you…do you believe he will recover?"

Azeem offered a gentle smile. "I have pleaded with Allah for it to be so." He shrugged. "It is up to the Young Christian now. We have done all we can do."

So this was it, Robin thought. He looked down at Will's face, so still, so pale. "I have barley begun to get to know you, brother, and it seems too cruel to think I could lose you so soon." He whispered the words as he searched Will's face for something…anything.

"Listen to me, Will Scarlett. You have to fight. Do you understand?" Robin drew a shaky breath. "You are going to make it through this. There is no other option." He felt his grip around Will's still freezing form tighten though he hadn't consciously decided to do that. "You are going to make it," he said again. "You have to…because I…I need you. Do you understand that?" He waited a moment for a response that never came. "All right. Don't say anything. I'll just…I'll tell you a story." He thought for a moment, but drew a blank. Giving it more consideration, going through his memories one at a time, he found one he hadn't shared with his brother yet—because until this moment, he hadn't remembered it.

"I think you'll like this one, Will. It happened when I was a little over eight years old. There were a lot of visitors and their entourages. They met with…with our father to discuss things no eight year old could find the slightest bit entertaining. It was a long, tedious day, and, as the future Lord Locksley, I was meant to be present and presentable the entire time." He smiled ruefully. "Suffice it to say, I intended to find another way to spend my time. I was sure I wouldn't be missed, so I crept out of the main hall and retreated to the barn. I pulled out a bow and quiver my father had given me no more than a week ago and I began to practice. I shot at apples, and at sacks of grain and at ropes. I was trying to shoot at a notch particularly high in the wall, when the door swung open. The light outside was bright, and backlit like that, I couldn't see who it was until he stepped inside and my eyes adjusted.

When I was finally able to see, I realized it was my father. I was sure I was in the worst trouble of my life." Robin smiled at the memory and shifted slightly in the bed. "Instead, he stepped over to me and brought out his own bow and quiver. We practiced together, and he gave me pointers to improve my aim…" a wistful smile crossed his face and he would have wiped his eyes had he been willing to loosen his grip around his brother. He blinked rapidly and continued. "Then, my father surprised me. He brought out a dagger and he tossed it with such lack of concern as to where it landed that it stunned me when it hit the very notch in the wall I'd been trying to hit with my arrow.

"He laughed at my surprise and he showed me the dagger and how to hold it. He threw that thing a dozen times and always hit his target." He looked again at Will. "He was amazing with that blade. He told me it was a sign of dexterity and of commitment to be able to learn to throw a knife with any accuracy. He also said it was a sign of a man's hope and his willingness to lose everything even as he tried to save it. You see, a man who throws a knife either has another on him, or must lose his only way to defend himself in an effort to take down someone or something that needs to be taken down.

"Do you understand, Will? Your knife skills…you inherited those from him. Our father gave you that. He gave you your desire for justice, though you manage to hide that desire well. He also gave you your skills with words, Will Scarlett, for our father was an educated man who delighted in word play." He tightened his hold once more. "You are my father's son, Will Scarlett, and I will shout that from the mountain tops as soon as you're well enough to hear me doing it." He swallowed and ended his story in a whisper. "I promise."

Robin must have fallen asleep after the telling the tale, but something woke him.

He tried to shift position, but the soft sound repeated and stopped him. Holding still, even holding his breath, he waited for another noise.

When it came, it was a strangled cry, and it startled Robin. It was a soft sound, but it was a sound of terror. Nightmare, Robin thought. He leaned closer to Will's ear and whispered. "Will, it's all right. Wake up. It's just a dream." Will tossed and turned, another sound of distress breaking through, and getting louder. "Shhh! Will, it's all right. You're not alone. I'm here. It's Robin. I'm here. You're safe."

Will tossed again, a bit more violently. "Nnn," he gasped for breath. "Nnnn…Nnnoooo!" His eyes flew open wide and he struggled weakly under the weight of the heavy blankets and furs and the restraining hold Robin had on him.

Robin spoke rapidly. "It's all right! Will, you're safe!"

Azeem and Marian raced into the room at the sound of Robin shouting.

Robin continued to talk wit Will, ignoring them for the moment. "You're fine! I've got you! I've got you!" He shifted so Will could see him more easily.

Will blinked up at his brother in obvious confusion. "Robin…" his voice was soft and raspy. "You…" he looked around. "We…I d…I don't remember…"

"What's the last thing you do remember?"

"Essex. He p-put m-me in that c-cage…he said our father…"

He closed his eyes and Robin could see he was struggling with nausea. "It's all right. Don't think about that now. Is that all you recall?"

Will thought about it a moment. "Nno…I th-think…it was s-so c-cold."

Robin frowned and looked at Azeem. The stutter worried him. Could there be something really wrong? Azeem stepped forward.

"Young Christian, now that you are awake, will you tell us if you are in any pain?" Azeem placed a palm on Will's forehead, checking his temperature.

Will shifted his attention from Robin to Azeem. He spoke haltingly almost as though it required all of his thought to form the words. "I..I'm cold. I'm. So. Cold."

Azeem nodded and spoke to Robin as Will's eyes drifted shut again. "He is warmer, Christian, but he is likely to be weak for a time. He is too tired to eat, but we must try to get him to have water at least. He was in that cage for days on end with nothing. A man may live weeks without food, but not without water."

Robin nodded as Azeem reached to the side table and handed him a cup of water. "Will, are you awake?"

"Hmmm," Will replied.

"I need you to take a drink."

Will opened his eyes and struggled to sit up a bit. Robin slipped an arm under his shoulders, and Azeem placed a hand on the back of his head. Together they supported him as he drank from the cup. After a few mouthfuls, he flopped down again. "I can't…"

"It's all right. You did well." Robin handed the cup to Azeem who placed it on the table once more. "Are you comfortable for now, Will?"

"Throat hurts. He tried to strangle me…wanted 'satisfaction' because I said he'd killed my mother…"

Robin felt rage blossom in his heart. "Essex." He said the name as though it tasted foul in his mouth and with a vehemence and hatred that gave Will pause.

"Robin…" he asked, uncertainty and trepidation in his voice.

"I will make him pay…"

Will shook his head, but closed his eyes for a moment immediately after and Robin could see that his head must be swimming.

"There is no way to make him pay. It's his word against mine. No one would believe me, and if you go after him the way we went after Nottingham…" His mouth ran dry and he began to cough. It took several minutes and more than a glass of water to ease it.

"Shh," Robin said. "Don't fret, Will. We can talk about that later."

Will struggled to sit up and grabbed a hold of Robin's shirt. "No. You will make plans and you'll want to go after him. There's not a day in my life that has gone by since the day she died that I haven't thought about killing that man." He stopped and coughed again, but refused any water, getting control of himself and continuing. "Robin, I wasted my life hating. I hated him, I hated you and our…our father. I hated anyone who had more than me, and I hated anyone who got in my way. Don't do it, Robin. Don't set your sights on vengeance. Men like Essex will always come out on top. Men like me will always come out on the bottom…"

"No!" Robin shouted and Will shrank back a bit. "Will, it doesn't have to be that way. I want to help you…"

Will eyes dropped to look intently at the blanket. "Then prove me wrong, brother. Be here for me, always, no matter what I've done. No matter what you've done. Be my brother. No one's ever done that for me."

Robin placed a hand against Will's cheek. "That's not something you need to ask of me, Will Scarlett. The only long-term plans I have are to marry Marian and to be a better brother to you. I want to make it up to you, Will. I want to apologize to you for the thoughtless, selfish actions of a twelve-year-old boy who ruined your life."

Will smiled at Robin, but the conversation was wearing him out. He stifled a yawn and struggled to keep his eyes open.

Robin smiled back. "Get some rest, Will. I'll be here when you wake." He moved to get out of the bed, but stopped when Will clutched at his wrist.

"Don't go. Please, Robin…"

Robin could see he wanted to say more, but possibly because his throat did hurt or because he was too tired, or maybe because he was too uncertain that it was indeed his right to make demands on Robin, he said nothing else.

Robin settled back into the bed and placed a hand on Will's head, gently guiding it to rest on his chest. Will smiled and settled down. That quickly, he was asleep.

Robin watched his brother sleep. He touched Will's forehead noting that he was indeed warmer than he had been. Robin was still concerned, and would be until he was certain that Will was out of danger. He would also harbor serious concerns about Will's safety until he could be sure that Essex wouldn't try again.

"Azeem," Robin said, "We're going to need a plan."

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

By the next day, Will did develop a fever, but it was a much milder one than Azeem had anticipated. Over the course of the following week, Will did heal. The bruises faded. The fever dropped. He was still occasionally cold when it seemed warm to the others, but as it was still the dead of winter, Azeem didn't find this peculiar.

Robin spent most of his time with his brother, but the few times a day he left Will's room, he spent it working on a way to ensure his brother's safety. He'd yet to come up with anything he thought would work. Of course, he'd yet to think of Essex without feeling the overwhelming desire to force him to endure the same treatment to which he'd subjected Will.

He hated feeling this way especially knowing that it wasn't what Will wanted. Somehow, hanging in that cage for three days, Will had abandoned enough of the anger and hatred that had permeated his life to recognize that seeking vengeance would not help either of them.

Yet, Robin felt the rage course through him each time he recalled Essex's words and his attitude towards Will. Last night, he'd dreamed of Essex shoving Will into that cage and had envisioned Essex's hands wrapped around his brother's throat. He'd woken from the nightmare quite suddenly to find Will holding him and trying to calm him down.

"You called out in your sleep," Will had explained.

"Did I wake you," Robin had asked, though there were other things he'd rather have said.

Will had smiled and shaken his head. "No, I'm fine. I was awake anyway…" The way he'd looked down at the blankets once more told Robin that Will was having nightmares of his own, and the fact that he wasn't talking about them worried him. How were they to get close, to begin to connect as brothers—as they should have done years ago if Robin had only known about him—if they couldn't even speak to each other.

Robin could see they needed to speak. Will was not himself. He was healing, but his personality seemed altered. He was different. He would rarely look anyone in the eye. He would often speak softly as though hoping his words would be lost in the conversation and not acknowledged. He immediately fell silent if anyone else began to speak as though deferring to them, as though his own thoughts and words were not important.

Will's eyes had lost their fire.

Robin spoke to Azeem about it as Will would not discuss it. "He's changed somehow, Azeem."

Azeem nodded. "I have seen it, too, Christian. It was an ordeal. Perhaps it is to be expected."

"An ordeal? Azeem, he nearly died!" Robin felt the rage inside him once more.

"Yes, and perhaps that is the way of it." Azeem stepped closer to Robin. "Will Scarlett died that day. William of Locksley may be someone else entirely."

Those words scared Robin. "What? No!"

"We all change as we grow up, Christian. Perhaps he needed this."

Robin considered the words and their implication. "Azeem, if he's changed, it's because Essex stole something from him! He took something…I don't know what. Pride? Self-respect? Something changed because Essex changed it! And why? Essex killed Will's mother! Will dared say something about it, and the man locks him up to die of exposure." He shook his head. "It's not right!"

Azeem sighed. "Ah, Christian, of course it is not right. Have you not yet learned, despite your years in prison, and war, and dealing with the power mad Sheriff, that things will happen in this life that are not right and are not fair? It was not fair that your mother died young, that your father found solace in the arms of another and then abandoned her. He did not have to. He could have told you that he understood your feelings, but he needed her in his life. Instead he made a choice to leave her for your sake."

"What is it you're saying, Azeem?"

"Isn't it obvious? Life is not fair." He put up a hand to stop Robin from interrupting. "We can only plead our cases with Allah and ask that he help us through the times that are the least fair and perhaps that one day, it will be balanced in our lives with some good that we do or that someone else will do for our benefit."

"How do I help Will? If he wants to change, that's one thing, but this smacks of something done to him not by him or for his benefit. How do I help him?"

"There is only one way, Christian." Azeem said.

"What's that?"

"Ask him."

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves

Lady Marian had kept an eye on the comings and goings of the Duke. She had people loyal to King Richard staying in Nottingham Castle. She wasn't sure what to do about the man, as there was no proof that he had done anything illegal except Will's word. Fair or not, no one would believe Will Scarlett, thief and one of Robin Hood's men. She had a vague idea that if King Richard were home and not abroad, she would be able to go to him with this. He was a fair-minded man, and she had always admired him when she was a little girl. He had also been enamored of her. There had never been a time when he wouldn't have time for her, and there had never been a moment when she had felt she could not go to him with something that worried her.

He had always been rather protective of her, and she had never been one to take advantage of that, but in these circumstances, surely he would see that justice would best be served by restoring Robin's lands to him and...and what? Did she expect King Richard to destroy Essex on her say so? Of course not! So What did she expect him to do?

She realized she could not write to him until she could answer that question.

What she would do was speak to Will again. Now that Robin had been forced to return to Sherwood for a few hours to let people know how Will was and to see if they were prepared for winter now that they'd had to move camp to compensate for the men who'd abducted Will having found their secret base.

He would be back in a few hours, so she moved swiftly. She stopped at the kitchen first and prepared a small meal. Will didn't have a large appetite at the best of times, and since his most recent ordeal, it had been difficult to get him to eat very much.

Azeem seemed to think his appetite would improve, but she wasn't sure. It was less to do with a lack of hunger, and more to do with something else entirely. What that could be, she didn't know.

Taking the small pastries, which she hoped would prove a temptation to a young man who likely hadn't eaten much in the way of sweet treats in his life, she went to Will's room.

Azeem was just stepping out. "He is awake, My Lady," Azeem said. "I think he has improved. He is more alert than I have seen him in some time!"

"Oh, that is good news, Azeem!" Marian smiled as he held the door open for her.

Once inside, she set down her tray and turned to look at Will. "Will! It is good to see you looking so much more yourself."

Will smiled and looked down for a moment. "It's kind of you to let me stay, Lady Marian."

"I thought you might like some of these cakes. They're fresh!" She handed them over to him.

"Thank you. I'm not hungry."

The smile fell from her face and her shoulders sagged. "Will, that really can't be true."

"What?" He seemed startled.

"You don't eat enough to keep a bird alive." Marian sat in a chair set beside the bed. Usually, Robin sat here. "Will, I was hoping you might let me know what was done to you."

Will blinked rapidly. "I…I thought…I mean…you kn-know what happened. Essex took me from Sherwood and locked me in a c-cage for days. Robin and Azeem found me…"

Marian was nodding. "I do know that, but…Oh, Will, what happened to you out there? You must see there's been a change! You're not the same brash young man you were. Did he hurt you?"

"He locked me in that cage. I…I don't remember much." He looked down once more.

"There!" Marian said in triumph. "That. Before your abduction, you didn't look away when you spoke to me…to anyone. Now you won't look anyone in the eye. Why is that?"

"I don't know…what…" he sighed. "I really don't know."

"Oh, Will…"

"Maybe I've just started to believe what people say about me." He laughed and it was so bitter a sound that Marian flinched. "John tells people I'm full of piss and wind. Robin calls me a coward. The guards in Nottingham's dungeons said that scum like me doesn't deserve to live. I've heard similar things all my life. Maybe I've just decided to believe it all."

"Will…Robin and John, they respect you…"

"No!" Will yelled and then put a hand to his head as though the sound or the act of yelling had hurt him. "I mean…I'm…Damnit!"

"What, Will? What is it?" Marian's concern was growing by the minute.

"Do you know what happened when those men came to Sherwood? Do you know what they would have done if I hadn't given myself up? If I had gone hunting with Will and the others and hadn't been there?" He sighed, and made a visible effort to lower his voice. "Do you know what Robin did? When Fanny stopped by to visit, she told me how worried he'd been. She told me that he couldn't think, or eat, or do anything except look for me…that he got short tempered, that he became obsessed with finding me! I can't let him…I won't let him throw away his life for me. What if it happened again?"

His frustration was palpable. His confusion was more so. As Marian observed him, it seemed as though he were truly searching to make sense of what he felt, as though he couldn't find any reason or description that would help him to understand any of it let alone make her understand.

"I know what I'm like, Lady Marian. I see red whenever I meet a pompous nobleman. I lash out at authority. I never hold my tongue even if it is in my best interests." He looked down again and when he looked back at her, tears stood in his eyes. "Lady, do you understand? I could be responsible for Robin's death. No one will thank him for embracing a peasant bastard and inviting him to join polite society. No one will thank him for turning his back on the nobles who insult his bastard half-brother, and that's what he did. He told Essex who I was and he chose my side over his."

"Will," Marian whispered. "He loves you."

Will laughed and again the bitterness and anger that she remembered from what seemed like long ago, back before she'd known they were brothers, was evident. It had been tempered, diminished, since Robin and Will had begun to try to bond as brothers. It had been gone since his return from Essex's prison. That it had made its reappearance now seem all the more surprising. She looked at Will as he spoke.

"He can't love me. He doesn't know me. He loves the idea of having a brother. Nothing more. It isn't me."

Marian couldn't argue that. The two had spent little time getting to know each other in the weeks since the Sheriff's demise. Initially, Will had been injured and Robin had been worried. Then the realities and repercussions of the confrontation with the Sheriff had become clear. The outlaws were still outlaws, and the power struggle over who would take Nottingham's duties, castle and lands, was still unsettled. Some were calling Robin a hero while others called him a murderer.

Robin had confessed to her only days ago that he understood Will's hatred and anger towards him in the early days, and only hoped to have a chance to remove all doubts his brother might have as to his place in Robin's world.

Of course, since Robin's world was undefined…nobleman, landowner, Lord or outlaw…what could he hope to share with Will.

Will's own crimes seemed to have accumulated as well. Aside from thief and poacher, the crimes that had sent him into Sherwood to begin with, he was being called a traitor to Robin Hood by some who knew little of the true story, and another story, no doubt circulated by Essex, described him as a man willing to kill for no reason, and painted him as some sort of mercenary willing to do absolutely anything for money.

Considering how little in the way of worldly possessions Will had, it was laughable.

She put a hand on Will's arm. "Will, he wants nothing in the world more than to get to know you. There just hasn't been time. You'll give him the chance, won't you?"

Will sighed and the bluster left him. "A chance? To get to know me…" he shook his head, and she could see his weariness. "I've caused him nothing but trouble. He was better off not knowing." His leg twitched and Marian thought if he were outside right now he might be running away by now.

"Not knowing? About you?" She was about to argue the point when a light knock on the door interrupted. It swung open and Azeem entered.

"Lady Marian, riders approach. Six at least. Are you expecting anyone?"

Marian stood. "No. Stay here with Will. I'll see to it."

Azeem nodded, and Marian left hearing Will's complaint as she closed the door behind her. "I don't need a watcher. You should go…"

She had no doubt he was telling Azeem to accompany her—to keep her safe for Robin's sake. She could almost laugh at it. Will was worried about Robin, obviously felt some sort of affection or something for him, yet he would not allow that Robin felt the same in return. The boy was stubborn as…well, as Robin.

By the time she reached the front door and stepped outside, the riders had arrived. "Good morning!" She called out cheerily as she could manage. "Your Grace," she said in surprise as the Duke climbed down from his mount. "What a delightful surprise! I wasn't expecting you. I do hope it's good news that has brought you to my door." She smiled and put a hand to her cheek as though she were surreptitiously hiding a flush as any woman flattered by an unexpected gentleman caller might. She found it worked in her favor if men underestimated her.

"Delighted to see you, Lady Marian, as always." He looked around. "Have all the peasants gone?"

"Well, yes, they were only here for about a week or so." She forced surprise into her voice that he might have thought otherwise. "I offered to let the children stay, but the families have moved on, most going to stay with relatives in other towns. I'm sure very few of them have stayed in the area."

"Have you heard from Locksley?"

"No, I haven't seen him. Why is there some problem?"

"No, no. Not at all. What of that thief claiming to be his brother…"

"Your Grace, is there some reason you're looking for Robin Hood and his men? I haven't heard of any robberies. Has something happened?"

The Duke looked irritated and glanced around as though distracted.

"Oh," Marian squealed as though something had just occurred to her. "You must think me a terrible hostess. Please, come inside! Let me get you some refreshment!"

He followed her inside and she made the usual banal conversation as she went to the kitchen and retrieved some of the pastries she'd given to Will. She poured him a drink as well, and when she set it all before him, he made the expected bid to persuade her to move to London as a place more befitting her social status. She demurred and turned the conversation back to the purpose of his visit.

"You've not seen Robin Hood or…what was that boy's name…Scarlett?"

She smiled. "I've told you already, Your Grace. I haven't."

His hand shot out and took her wrist so suddenly that she let out a yelp of surprise. "Telling lies is something we all do at court from time to time, but you, My Lady, are in no position to be less than honest."

"Your Grace, please release me!" She struggled, moving her wrist in a vain attempt to free herself.

"If I were to return to Prince John and tell him how sympathetic you are to Robin Hood's cause, that he and his men have been known to take refuge in your home…"

"Threats, Your Grace? What is it you want?" Marian demanded tiring of his chatter.

"I want to know where that boy is! He is not…where he should be."

"Where you left him?" Marian asked pointedly.

He still had not released her wrist and now he pulled it toward him and in a swift move, twisted it around so that he now held her arm painfully twisted behind her back.

"Release me!" She made it a demand with as imperious a tone as she could manage.

To Be Continued