Gisbourne's sister?!
The shock of Gisbourne's revelation made Robin release the woman's arm as though he were flinging away a venomous viper from his grasp.
Robin stood frozen, feet wide apart, staring at the woman he'd enjoyed protecting.
She was breathing heavily in short little gasps, staring back at him through wide, beautiful blue eyes...eyes trying to look innocent and appealing, failing to hide their mystery and intrigue.
It was unforgivable. It was intoxicating.
"Let's go!" Much cried, bringing his master to his senses with a shove.
Outdistancing his men as he dashed through the forest back to camp, Robin's thoughts raced as quickly as his feet.
Gisbourne's sister? He should have guessed. What other woman would carry a mustard bomb on her?
His mind flashed back to the glimpse he'd seen of her smooth, shapely leg when she'd reached up her skirts to retrieve the bomb.
No! He'd been mistaken thinking she reminded him of...of his Love. All the time, she'd reminded him of his enemy. They shared the same shaped face, the same steely blue, dark fringed eyes, the same thin lips.
He wanted no part of her. He'd left her with her brother, leading his gang away from their poisonous presence.
And then, unwillingly, another image invaded his mind.
Marian, gorgeous in her scarlet jacket, riding behind Gisbourne on his horse.
Once again, Robin had been too late in saving her, this time from Winchester, and somehow Gisbourne had arrived first.
It shouldn't matter...she was safe. Yet it goaded him beyond reason to see Gisbourne, sitting up so tall in his saddle, carry her away. She had seen Robin, sensed he was near, and had turned her face to mouth "Love you" with sorry eyes, but she had gone. What choice did she have, after all?
She wasn't safe, though, Robin reminded himself bitterly. She was dead.
Gisbourne had killed her.
The need for vengeance that Robin fought so hard to bury was rising within him again. It took everything he had to not turn around and rush back toward Gisbourne and challenge him to fight to the death.
"Are you a murderer now?" she had once asked him angrily.
"When I have to be."
No. He mustn't. He wouldn't. It was a choice, a choice to fight for the people and not against his enemy. No, that wasn't so. He would still fight against Gisbourne, but honorably. He would choose not to kill.
"Everything is a choice," he whispered to the wind, longing for the honorable woman he loved.
...
Back at camp, once Much had caught his breath, Robin heard him say, "I knew it! I knew she was Gisbourne's sister!"
"You did not," Allan scoffed. "Giz always said he hadn't any family."
"He lied! And to think, Master, we wanted to help her! It must have been a trap, to catch you!"
"I don't think so, Much," Robin explained. "The trap was Prince John's soldiers, herding us like sheep. And the lion, that Gisbourne didn't know was too ancient and decrepit to hurt me. She helped us escape, remember? Now, why do any of you think she did that?"
No one had an answer any more than Robin did.
"We're well rid of her," Kate whined, taking Robin's arm and snuggling up beside him, though he barely noticed. "I'm the girl here."
She wanted to say, "I'm your girl," but she didn't quite have the nerve to say it. Not yet, anyway.
"Kate's right," Robin decided, gently removing himself from her grip. "Whatever she is, she's Gisbourne's sister, and we're all better off staying far away from her."
There was silence for a moment, and then Allan spoke what Robin didn't want to admit.
"All the same, not bein' funny or anything, she's not bad."
...
Acre's docks were hot and smelly and noisy as usual, with fish mongers shouting to sell their catches, while flies swarmed noisily over the silver, glittering scales.
Ships bobbed up and down on the water, the sun streamed down, and Will had to push his way through the throng to make a path for himself and his small but hearty wife.
Believing that Marian had broken her word and caught a ship home before them, they were now planning on paying their fare to board another ship headed toward Portsmouth and the island they both regarded as Home.
Another ship, a grand one flying Prince Al-adil's banner, had docked and had lowered passengers in a small rowboat, which had made its way to shore. Will stopped pushing his way through the crowd when he spied the beautiful lady being helped from the craft.
"Marian!" he said, his mouth hanging open.
"Marian?" Djaq repeated, blinking her eyes in disbelief.
It was true. Marian, looking stronger than when they'd last seen her, stood on the dock, squinting her eyes in the sun, scanning the crowd.
"Marian!" Will called, as he and Djaq ran to her.
Seeing them, Marian broke into a happy, relieved smile. "Will! Djaq! You're packed! Are you planning to sail home?"
"We were," Djaq confirmed, happily assessing the young woman's healthy appearance. "Where have you been?"
"It's a long story. It seems I'm just in time! How would you like to sail home with me on a royal ship with no luxury spared, paid for entirely by..." Marian took a deep breath before reciting her new friend's full name. "...Prince al-Malik al-Adil Sayf al-Din Abu-Bakr ibn Ayyub?"
Will smiled incredulously at his wife, who looked back at him in astonishment.
"The ship will sail again in an hour," Marian announced. "Time enough for me to explain everything."
