"Where are you?" Marian called impatiently to the trees in Sherwood Forest. "I know you're watching me. I can feel you."
The sound of Robin's feet landing on the ground directly behind her caused her horse Vesper to dart forward, nearly spilling Marian from the saddle. Regaining control of her horse, she turned furious eyes on the outlaw's smirking face.
"Always so pleased with yourself, aren't you?" she asked.
He shrugged. "It was a perfect landing. And a perfect backflip. Sorry you missed it, Marian. Shall I climb back up the tree and do it again?"
"No." She continued glaring at him. "Anyway, I'm not here to see you, surprising though you must find that, with your inflated opinion of yourself. I'm here to see Much."
"Much?" He hid his disappointed surprise behind a mocking chuckle.
Marian was equal to his challenging laughter. "You may be surprised to realize, Robin of Locksley, but you're not the only one living in Sherwood who used to be my friend. In case you've forgotten, Much and I have been friends as long as you and I have been. Or were," she clarified proudly.
"Very well, then," Robin replied, taking the reins and leading her horse down a path, "I will take you to him."
...
They found Much complaining of a toothache. Everyone had told him to shut up more than once, and now, Allan was at the end of his patience.
"Not bein' funny, but if you don't shut up already, I'll come over there and teach you what real pain feels like!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Much challenged in his most annoyingly superior tone. "You seem to forget whom you talk to, rogue! You forget, I served under King Richard at Acre! I faced Saladin's armies! I'm not frightened of you!"
"What?" Allan asked in amazement. "You're frightened of my grandmother!"
"For your information, I have never met your grandmother! I'm sure she's a very lovely woman, though I doubt she's any paragon of virtue, coming from your family, but all the same, if I were to meet her, I would not hesitate to give her a cheery hello and a how is the weather in your neck of the woods, but still, I think you'll find-"
"What do you mean, 'coming from my family'? "
Much looked down at Allan from raised eyebrows. "Well, judging the rest of them from you, I hardly think-"
"Oh, now you're asking for it!"
Robin interrupted the fight that never began with a swift, "Hold your fire, lads! We've got company!"
Everyone greeted Marian, and Djaq shifted into her more boyish attitudes. She didn't know Marian very well, and couldn't trust her to give away the secret of her gender.
"Marian risked her lovely neck this fine day to come specially to see you, Much," Robin explained, amusement and mockery in his tone and smile.
"Me?" Much asked, flabbergasted. "Me? Why would she want to see me? Master, what have you told her?"
"Nothing," Marian answered Much directly herself. "Or if he has, I wasn't listening. I've trained myself over the years to tune him out. He does tend to go on and on so, bragging about his feats, not realizing how boring he's being when nobody cares."
"Boring?" Much asked in disbelief. "Robin's never boring! Infuriating...I grant you. Boring ...never."
Robin cast a cocky smirk in Marian's direction. She pretended to ignore it and continued speaking to Much.
"Now, you're only saying that because you're his servant. You have to flatter him. But you and I both know the truth, don't we?" She changed her tactic, hoping to get Much to confess to some insult against Robin. "Did I hear you say you had a toothache? Oh, poor Much! There must be some plant growing here you can chew on that will ease your pain."
"Yes, thank you very much, Marian. At least you care to listen to my suffering, and not try to shut me up! Djaq has found me something, but my tooth still hurts!" Suddenly realizing the pain was gone, he gasped. "No, it doesn't! I don't feel it at all! This is wonderful!"
Marian took his arm, to the vast surprise of Much and Robin. "Let's go somewhere we can talk," she invited. "You and I haven't had a good long talk in a long time. I promise not to shut you up, either. In fact, the more you can tell me, the more pleased I'll be."
Much grinned, pleased as he could be. "Master, may I? May I go have a chat with Marian?"
"Be my guest," Robin said, feeling uneasy.
Marian gave Much her loveliest smile as they turned and walked away.
"Whoa ho!" Allan crowed. "How'd Much get so lucky?"
Robin turned eyes of daggers on Allan, silencing him at once.
...
"Well, Marian," Much rambled, "I must say this is pleasant! Just the two of us, having a little chat! We never do get enough time to catch up! How's your father? Still doing well, I trust?"
"Thank you, my father's well. But I want to talk about something else." She knew better than to pause, or Much would fill the empty sound with empty words. "Tell me, do you know of a woman called 'Melusine?' Her real name is Lady Sybil de Lusignan, Countess of Poitiers."
Much thought for a moment. "Melusine," he repeated. "Sounds familiar." Memory returned. "Of course!" he blurted out. "Lady Sybil de Lusignan! Guy de Lusignan's wife! Why didn't you say, 'Guy de Lusignan's wife?' The fish!"
Marian smiled. "That's right...the fish. Much, why do you men find that fish story appealing, anyway? I certainly don't understand."
"Me neither, to be frank. Puts the thought of pan seared trout in my mind." He licked his lips. "Hmm, I wonder if Robin will catch us some fish for dinner."
"Never mind about dinner. What can you tell me about Lady Sybil? As far as her relationship to Robin is concerned."
Much gasped in realization. "Oh, no, Marian. No! You don't want to talk to me after all, do you, you tricky conniving young woman you! Marian, shame on you for your deviousness!"
"Come on, Much, how well do she and Robin know each other?"
"I'm not saying anything! I'm not saying anything!"
"Please, Much..." Marian wheedled.
Much huffed out an exasperated sigh. "Well, I'll tell you, but remember, you never heard it from me!"