Chapter thirty-five: Find her

Guy awoke to a splitting headache. He jumped up and shouted. "Meg!"

"Easy milord." Sylvia almost dropped the water she had in her hands. Her eyes were wet with tears. "I'm sorry….she's gone."

The hatred burned in his soul for Hood, he'd dared to kidnap his bride on his wedding night! The love he felt for Meg engulfed him and he felt the tortuous ache of longing in his heart for the first time in his life. Guy moved towards the dresser and grabbed a shirt. "Go have someone saddle my horse immediately."

"Milord, you need that wound dressed."

"I said," Guy spat out as he yanked the shirt over his head. "I want my horse saddled now!"

Sylvia jumped and scurried down the stairs. Guy grabbed a jacket, his sword and dagger. It was still dark out, but he could use a torch to look for tracks. He would not rest until he had her back in his arms. His mind was reeling somewhat by the news that Hood had just dropped on him. Meg knew and she still wanted him, him! If the king did chose to adopt Meg, he would never be worthy of her. But…she loved him and he loved her.

Guy trotted down the stairs and swung by the kitchen, grabbing a loaf of bread on the way out the door. He forced himself not to think about how he'd teased her when she made her first loaf of bread. Sylvia came out of the stable, with Thunder.

Guy frowned. "Why isn't Thomas saddling the horse?"

"He went after her." Guy's brow rose. "Thomas used to be a poacher as a child until Meg's uncle took him in. He can track anything. He told me to tell you, to look for the Celtic love knot, carved on the roots of trees. Then, he will make his way back."

Guy nodded as he tucked the bread into the saddlebag. "Right. Have a message sent to the sheriff; tell him I am gone on an errand for a few days."

She nodded. "I will." As Guy mounted, she boldly reached up and pressed her hand over his. He looked down at her to find her equally distressed. "Find her."

"If it takes me a thousand years," he swore. "I will find her!"

The sunlight streaming in Meg's face caused her to awake to find her hands and her feet bound. She groaned as she inhaled the scent of roasting meat. "She's awake." She recognized Djaq's soft voice. Djaq moved towards her. "How are you feeling? I hope you aren't having any adverse effects."

Meg jerked away from Djaq's gentle touch and turned her back to her. "Do not touch me."

Djaq exhaled. "Understand, none of us like this, but we have a duty and we must carry it out."

"No, I don't understand." She didn't keep the venom out of her voice as she snapped at Djaq. "You've all meddled in my life and you haven't the right to do so."

"We didn't have a choice. If you had chosen to marry anyone but Gisbourne, we wouldn't have interfered." Robin walked to where she was seated and she closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at him. "You need to listen to me." She brought her bound hands up and was able to stick a finger in each ear. Robin jerked her hands free. She clenched her teeth and began to hum a note that resonated a bee-like buzzing in her ears. "Will has gone to fetch your uncle and aunt from the docks." That caused her eyes to fly open in outrage and her to be silent. She stared at him as for the first time in her life she felt complete and utter hatred for a man. "If they ride hard enough, they should be here tomorrow evening."

Meg couldn't help but stare at him in shock. "How could you? How…dare you!"

"I assure you, it gives me no pleasure to inflict pain on you," Robin said, holding her gaze without flinching. "but I cannot allow Gisbourne to get away with his crimes."

Meg spat. "Oh, I believe that you enjoy inflicting pain on me because you know it will hurt him!"

"Just because I enjoy tormenting Gisbourne on occasion doesn't mean I wish his misery on another, especially a woman, even if she was almost his wife."

"God I hate you." She shook her head. "I hated you when I first met you and first impressions are generally right." Robin stood up and walked away. "You said you enjoy tormenting him."

"I don't see why you defend him." Much said. "The man is…revolting."

"Shut up you dolt! Not everyone is perfect, neither is your master." Meg glanced at his retreating back and shouted. "I bet he never told you how he tried to have Gisbourne murdered for a crime that Robin himself committed!" her words caused him to stop dead in his tracks. He turned slowly towards her, his eyes somber. She tilted her chin defiantly up at him. "He was just fourteen! You injured a priest and then let him take the blame for it! He almost died because you lied!"

Robin's eyes clouded over. "I learned from that experience," he said somberly. "it made me a better man."

"A better man?" she scoffed. "Good God! That's a feeble excuse. You hate him for the man he's become? You made him into the man he is now!"

"Gisbourne chose the path to live!"

"You put him on that path. The whole town had already turned on him because of the way you'd painted his reputation! From what I hear, the priest was fine handing out Christian charity to you, but not to him and his sister! He had to sell her to her husband when she was thirteen because he couldn't take care of her! The sheriff took him under his wing and what else was he supposed to do but go with him? He had nothing, no one and no prospects!"

"You've said enough!" he shouted.

"I don't think I've said enough!" Meg shouted. "Why do you think I have? Is it because you can't handle the truth?"

Will spoke up. "Is there…any truth to what's she's saying Robin?"

Robin is silent for a moment before admitting. "It's true."

"You owe him." Meg said. "If you can't forgive him at least let me go! I'm all he has!"

"Then," Robin said tightly. "he should have lived better and learned to hold onto things better."

"You took all everything away from him." Meg couldn't hold the tears back. "It is wrong of you to take the one thing that belongs steadfastly to him." Robin turned and walked away from her. "I won't go home willingly and he will find me. I will consummate my marriage with him, just you wait and see. So you might as well just do the sensible thing and let me go!""

"Gisbourne has never been able to find us in these woods. Even if we have you, he still won't be able to find you because he has to find us."

"He is changing, he wants to change, but if you take me he will revert back into the old Guy and you will have no one to blame but yourself for what you did to him again! You took me from my husband so he has to pay for his crimes. Did you think about what he'll do if you take me away from him? He will not rest and everyone will be under his anger until he's got me back!"

"I won't hear anymore about Gisbourne." Robin moved towards the edge of the camp. The sound of horse's hooves caused everyone to look towards the sound. She could tell from the relaxed pace of the horse's hooves that it wasn't Guy and her heart depleted in her chest. Robin waved before turning to the group. "It's Marian."

The blood rose in Meg's cheeks at the mention of Marian's name. Marian came into the camp holding onto her horse's reins. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise, but she turned to Robin. "So you did it then? You got her?"

Robin nodded as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yeah. Be careful she's not in the best of moods."

Marian nodded as she approached Meg. "I brought you some clothes. You can't go around in just your shift."

The moment Marian was directly in front of her, Meg launched herself at Marian, using her head to hit Marian in the stomach and knocking her flat on her back! Everyone launched into action as Meg straddled Marian. She was tied, but she was still smart. She drew her head back and hit Marian in the nose with her forehead. Marian cried out as blood began to flow from her nose! Robin grabbed Meg and pulled her off Marian.

"You strumpet!" Meg screeched at her. "You hypocrite! How dare you show your face to me?"

Djaq fussed over Marian's nose before announcing. "It's broken; I will have to set it."

Robin was furious as he shouted. "You broke her nose!"

Meg shouted back in his face. "If my hands were untied now, I'd not only break her nose, I'd break her neck!"

Robin's fist clenched tightly as he groaned. "I've never hit a woman before, but if you don't-

"If you lay one finger on me Guy is going to kill you and I won't be able to stop him! Do not assume that he doesn't have a heart because you will find out that you are wrong!" Robin let out a sharp laugh. Meg flung her hair back out of her face. "I'm warning you, Guy is going to tear every tree out of this forest until he finds me! You had better be scared Robin Hood. Because your days are numbered!"

Everyone stared at her in amazement. No one could believe that she'd actually said those words to Robin's face. They weren't worried before, but it was the confidence ringing in her voice that caused them all to stop and reconsider. Robin inhaled before speaking. "Djaq, see if you can dress her, untie her hands, allow her to eat and make sure you tie her back up after feeding her."

Meg turned onto her side. "I'm not hungry."

The moment the words left her mouth, her stomach growled. Robin snorted. "Feed her and give her some decent clothes."

Meg curled up in a fetal position. "I don't want anything from anyone." Djaq knelt cautiously beside her. Meg sat up and knocked the food and water from her hands. Djaq looked on at her in amazement. Meg lay back down on the leaves and closed her eyes. "Leave me alone."

Djaq stood up. "Robin, perhaps we should-

Robin cut her off firmly. "No Djaq, we can't."

"I do not think we thought this through completely!" She protested. "Look at her! This is torture!"

Robin glowered at her. "I don't like this either, but we cannot…let her go back to him. We cannot."

Meg glanced at her hand, running her finger over her wedding ring; thankfully, they hadn't taken the jewelry that Guy had given her. "Find me." She whispered. "Find me."