Chapter 25
Increasingly bored, Rhiannon shifted inside the barrel, wishing that the others would hurry up. It was not comfortable in the barrel, and had already decided that she was going to kill Allan for even suggesting the idea. She froze as she heard a noise, a muffled voice, before putting her eye to the small hole in the wood she had put there to see out of. She could see Much and Djaq, hurrying towards her. Pushing upwards on the lid, Rhiannon freed it, before moving it aside, and raising her head out of the Barrel, followed by the rest of her body. By the time she had climbed out, Will and Allan had joined them.
"Where are the others?" Rhiannon asked, feeling anxious.
"They're coming, don't worry" Djaq reassured her, moving to the wall. Rhiannon hesitated, before following. Something was definitely off. They began to climb down the rope, while the other three waited up top. Not long after Djaq and Rhiannon reached the bottom, Robin, Marian and Little John arrived. Marian was still crying quietly, and Little John was still carrying Edward's body. Much and Will helped little John tie the body to him so he could use his hands to climb down the rope, before joining Allan and beginning to climb down. Robin made Marian go down, before he began to descend himself.
Rhiannon was suspicious. Djaq wasn't saying anything about the rescue, and it wasn't until they could see little john, with something strapped to his body, climbing the rope down the wall, that it clicked in Rhiannon's' mind.
"He's dead isn't he? My uncle, He's dead? I wasn't quick enough to tell you guys he was in the dungeon."
"Shh, Rhiannon. It's not your fault." Djaq gathered Rhiannon into her arms, rocking her gently.
"It was very peaceful. Marian got to tell him she loved him, and He got to tell her he was proud of her. We're taking him home so we can give him a proper funeral."
"Marian will never be the same again."
"None of us will be; especially you, Robin and poor Marian, but we can all relate to what she is going through. All of us have lost at least one parent; most of us have lost both."
"I guess, but Sir Edward, he seemed like he was going to keep going forever."
"Don't worry; he will keep going on forever, in our hearts. And your Christian Heaven, it seems like a nice place. At least he'll be happy" Djaq ran her fingers through Rhiannon's thick hair, much like she'd seen Marian do the previous night, as Much, Will, and Allan helped cut the ropes that tied Edward to Little John. Rhiannon looked up, where Robin and Marian were both going down the wall.
"We should start moving, in case we've drawn attention to ourselves." Robin told them as he reached the bottom. Taking Marian's hand, he started running, and the others followed him. Rhiannon felt drained by the time the reached the safety of the trees, and was thankful to climb upon her horse. She couldn't remember the ride back to the camp, nor dismounting and walking into the camp, tears leaking from her eyes, and collapsing in a heap beside the fireplace, the fire having gone out. She barely felt Much gently, and awkwardly embrace her, rubbing circles on her back as she sobbed into his shirt. She dimly heard Marian come in with Robin, and sit on her bed, Marian now fully crying now that there was little chance of being overheard, but Rhiannon was too lost in her own grief to care. It was only when Much was required to leave so he could help the others dig the, she shuddered, grave positioned, at Robin's instruction, not that far from Knighton, upon a hill, that she looked over where Marian sat. Biting down on her lip, and hoping this wasn't about to blow up in her face, she got shakily to her feet, wincing at the pins and needles that made her feet hurt, and walked over to Marian's bed.
"Robin, can I talk to Marian, please" Rhiannon asked. Robin looked up at her, and nodded, moving aside so she could take his place at Marian's side. He left the camp, respecting their privacy, and Rhiannon bit on her lip once more.
"I'm so, so, sorry, Marian. Loosing a parent, it's really tough, and, well, I know you probably don't feel like talking right now, but if you ever want to talk to anyone, we all have a good idea of what you're going through. Robin, Me, Much, Djaq, the others, we all know how bad it is. Sir Edward, he was a great man. He loved you so much, and He was so proud of you, and he would've done anything to see you happy. You were his life, Marian, and he loved every minute of it." Rhiannon embrace her cousin, rubbing circles just like Much had done for her, tears leaking from her own eyes.
"Do you think so?" Marian asked between sobs.
"I know so."
"Does it always hurt, having a parent taken from you like this?"
"It always hurts more at the start, but the pain fades, over time, but not completely. Loosing a parent, or both, it, it redefines who you are as a person, it changes you. It is, however, completely up to you as to what extent you do change."
Marian pulled away for a moment, looking at her cousin, a tiny smile on her tear stained face.
"When did you get so wise?"
"I don't know, but its proving helpful at the moment." Rhiannon joked, and Marian nestled back against Rhiannon's chest, sobbing once more. Rhiannon looked around once more as Robin reentered the camp, looking guilty. He took in the sight. The two cousins', sitting together upon the bed, embracing. The younger comforting the elder on a matter neither had any business knowing about. United by their grief for a man they both had loved as a father. He crossed the hideout, approaching the pair, before kneeling in front of them.
"Its time, Marian" he whispered.
RH RH RH RH RH
The funeral was simple, and was not befitting a man of Sir Edward's status. It was mid afternoon by that stage. The group stood in a solemn silence. Robin stood with a arm draped around Marian's shoulders, while Rhiannon stood on Marian's other side, with Will beside her, Allan on his other side with Djaq, And Much and Little john both on the other side of Robin. The all stood around the grave in that order. Robin spoke of how Sir Edward was free from the troubles that plagued his final years, and described the things he had done during his early years. Much and Rhiannon spoke of the kind man they remembered from their youths, Djaq spoke a prayer in her native tongue, with Marian's permission. Before Marian stepped forward to the open grave, giving her final, tearful farewell to the father she had loved so much. Then, the group was silent as Little John, Allan, Will and Much began to backfill the grave with dirt. Once that was done, Djaq and Rhiannon helped them cover the grave with stones, and Robin hung an outlaw tag from the wooden cross Will had constructed with Sir Edwards name engraved into the wood. Then they all stepped back for Marian to lay a bunch of flowers, collected by Rhiannon and Djaq, upon the grave, tears pouring silently down her face, before all of the others stepped forward and lay their bunches, leaving the grey stones looking quite colourful. Then, they all began to trek back towards the camp, before the rain that had threatened all day began to pour down. As they walked Little John sighed, breaking the solemn silence.
"Him, him we liked"
And Rhiannon completely agreed with him.
A.N. Due to me being in the last month or so at school., and having very important exams, updates are going to be few and far between from now to about December, but then it should be business as usual. Reviews may speed up updates.
R.W.