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Part 21
The next morning Marian woke, stiff, cold, hungry and remorseful for the previous day's events. She opened her hand to find the coins she had stumbled across yesterday. She still had no idea of where they could have materialised from. People just did not throw their wealth away in this day and age. So what exactly happened here? She moved and slowly worked all the aches and kinks out of her body, stretching then standing as she did so. She placed the coins in a hidden pocket and then looked around her for clues as to where they came from, finding nothing she sighed and began to reluctantly make her way back to the camp, the last person she wanted to see right now was Robin. However Anya, then the Sheriff and Guy all came a close second.
Hearing voices close by she stopped and strained her ears carefully, silently she moved closer until she was upon what had to be a secret meeting, between the Sheriff, Guy, the man from Knighton Hall that Robin called Eli and Anya. Marian listened intently, hardly daring to breathe, lest her barely concealed hiding place was discovered. Her reactions went from shock, to surprise, anger to pity, alarm to concern. They broke up Guy went away with the Sheriff, leaving Eli and Anya alone. Marian waited to glean any further information and details however minor in the long run, might prove to be necessary and important, so she followed them back to Knighton Hall. She watched them enter her former home and then more surely made her destination the outlaw's camp.
Marian took the left fork when the path she was on divided and soon after saw a familiar figure setting up traps to catch rabbit.
"Any luck?" she said.
The man was caught off guard and swung round reaching for his sword in the process. "It is you my Lady. Do not do that!" he gasped and paused to gain back his breath before adding. "Where have you been all night Robin was worried, we all were"
"Indeed?" she asked not convinced.
"Yes of course we were. Anyway that does not matter you are here now, you are coming back with me?"
"I do not know."
"What?" he asked perplexed.
"I do not think it is a good idea."
"Look Marian about the kiss, it was an innocent thing on my Master's side, it was Anya who…"
"So he said yesterday, however that is the least of our worries right now. You are right I need to speak to Robin. Anya must not know that I have met with you or with Robin, tell him to meet me at the blue pool as soon as he is able. I have some information that I know he will find more than interesting."
"So you have forgiven him them?" he asked with a smile of relief.
"That I did not say, this other matter is more pressing. You will tell him? Ask him to meet me? And do not let anyone else know."
"Of course, the blue pool?" he replied, Marian nodded and they parted ways.