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Magpie287: lol! what can I say, they're in Love :D
Here's the next chapter :)
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Chapter 38
Robin and Marian left the camp hand in hand. Robin was to turn right, whilst Marian was turning left, stretching their arms to the limit.
"Marian, where are you going?"
"To Locksley," she replied simply.
"I thought we were going to catch up with the others and see Matilda," he frowned.
"I changed my mine. The villagers need us at the moment Robin; Locksley especially. Although I would appreciate seeing Knighton as well."
"But Marian, what about-?"
"There is no point in dwelling on that now. I will not overexert myself, I promise you, just in case, but I think seeing Matilda will only waste time."
Robin sighed disapprovingly and was about to argue when Marian placed her index finger over his lips.
"Robin I know what I am doing. Please, trust me."
Robin nodded slowly, and held onto Marian's hand, following her out of the forest and towards the villages.
When they arrived in Locksley, they felt as if they were walking into a battle field. The cattle were absent from their patches and all around them people were rushing around, frantically doing their tasks. However one thing stood out above them all; they all had cloths over there noses and mouths.
Robin cautiously pulled Marian closer to him so that they were both hidden between the cottages as they were walking, both taking a closer look at their surroundings. They then heard a loud wail and screaming coming from the cottage in front of them. With one quick glance at one another, they ran inside to see what was going on.
At the sight of Robin, one of the men almost pounced on Robin, as if to attack him. Robin, being a trained soldier, anticipated his attack and blocked him, trying his best not to hurt him. The rest of the members of the cottage, including Marian, tried to pull the man off of him.
"This is your fault! How could you do this to us?"
"Do what?" Robin shouted in response.
"Joseph, get off him. It's not his fault," A woman pleaded, pulling him off with all her might.
When the man was thrown off, he gave Robin a hurt and disgusted look before turning toward a child who was lying on the bed.
"Martha," Robin gasped at the sight of the small figure.
She was about 10 years old and looked to have a very high fever. She looked unconscious, however to say that she was in a fevered delirium would be more accurate.
"She has a fever?" Marian asked, as if reading Robin's mind.
"Pestilence to be precise, my Lady." The woman said sadly. "The Sheriff said last week that-"
"The pestilence has come to Nottingham," the man spat, interrupting the woman.
Marian gasped silently and involuntarily placed a hand to her chest. Robin pushed past to check the child himself. He placed a hand to her forehead, feeling the heat travel from her head through him.
"How long has she been like this?" Robin asked urgently.
"A couple of days," the woman cried. "She has been getting worse."
"Where were you when we needed you?" The man continued.
"Joseph stop-"
"No, Samuel!" he scolded. "He abandoned us all when we needed him most."
"Robin did not abandon any of you," Marian informed them. "If you must know Robin was in the Holy Land, sending a personal message to the King about Nottingham."
"The King? You mean the King that has abandoned us all and left us to suffer!"
"That may appear to be the case. However Robin has never abandoned you. Everything he has done has been to help the people of Nottingham. How can you possibly blame the arrival of the pestilence on Robin?"
The man remained silent after that, obviously contemplating what she said. In the corner of the cottage, the woman was sobbing quietly to herself. Robin walked over to her and placed a comforting hand on her arm.
"I will do my best to help your daughter and the people of this village. But we all need to work together. Gather the villagers and distribute these to them. Tell them that they are from Robin Hood."
With that, he handed them some supplies that he and Marian had brought from the camp. Marian went over and sat by the little girl. She poured some clean water into a bowl, wet a cloth and then gently began to cool her face down with the cold water.
"Do not worry, you will be alright, you all will; I promise." Marian whispered solemnly.
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