Alyss rode out of Nottingham like a bat out of hell, her hair and gown billowing in the wind. Her mount was fast, and for that she was glad as she had no doubt that she would soon be followed. All she needed to do was get to Nettleworth with enough time to see her father before she was caught. At the very least she wanted to say goodbye, and she had no doubt that this was the only way to be able to do so. Ignoring the biting wind, she urged the horse towards Sherwood, and hoped that she would not be too late. Regardless, she knew that her ancestral home would be lost to her once her father died, so this was her only chance to see it too. She knew she was breaking the agreement by leaving Nottingham, but she had no doubt that the Sheriff would seize the lands before her father was even in the ground. Either way, Nettleworth Manor was lost to her. Sighing deeply, she urged her horse onwards and hoped that she would see her home and her family again.

She had been riding for just over an hour when she came to her senses. She had only thought of her father, but now she could only think of the consequences to her people. If Nettleworth belonged to the Sheriff then they too would suffer horribly and probably would not survive the winter. She urged her horse into a trot then, and paused as she took note of the creature she had taken. She cursed then, for she realised that she had broken the terms of the agreement and Gisburne would already know that. She had taken his horse, and that meant he probably was not too far behind her. Sighing deeply as she shivered in the chill wind, she wondered just what to do for the best. Did she continue on to Nettleworth and hope they did not catch up with her in the meantime? Or did she turn back towards Nottingham and beg for mercy? Neither option guaranteed that her home would be safe, and only one meant that she would see her father again.

Her hesitation cost her. She had not noticed the lack of birdsong until it was too late, and two men jumped out from the side of the road. They were big brutes, covered in dirt and their clothes were ragged, but both grinned maliciously as they saw their prize. She tried to urge Fury into a gallop, but the horse was already tired, and another rogue leapt out in front of them. She kicked at one of the men as they tried to grab her, and felt a sense of pride as she saw a stream of blood falling from his nose. The other man waved a knife and grabbed her by the waist, dragging her to the ground while she struggled against them. Praying that she had been followed by Sir Guy, she screamed loudly, and hoped that he would not leave her to the mercy of outlaws, before she had a knife pressed to her throat. The man who she'd kicked spat at her feet before dragging her to the trees, and the third took the horse. Fury struggled against the rogue, rearing up and kicking the air, but the cut throat would not give in.

"Tie him to a tree. We'll grab him later." The leader said. "We have an even better prize here." He leered at Alyss, and she instantly realised just how foolish she had been. She had no weapons on her, and she did not know how far behind her the search party was. With no other option, she let them lead her deeper into the woods, all the while trying to work out how to escape before any harm was done to her. She did her best to block out the lewd conversation the three men were having, and instead focused on her surroundings.

"Release her." Another voice instructed a few minutes later. Alyss looked around but could not see anyone, while the men moved closer to her. "I said, release her!" An arrow flew past and landed in a branch by one of the rogue's heads.

"She's ours. We caught her, fair and square."

"I am not yours!" She told them defiantly, but this only brought the blade closer to her throat.

"Release her, and we won't have to kill you." Another warning arrow came, this time from another direction, but the men would not relent.

"Very well, I see you have made your choice." One arrow hit the leader in the chest, while another hit the shoulder of the second man. The one with the blade to Alyss' neck watched his companions fall, and grinned evilly at the thought of what he was going to do with the woman.

"Only a coward stays hidden!" He yelled.

"Very well." The challenger hopped down from the branches in the tree in front of them, and offered a kindly smile at Alyss. She gave him a quizzical look, certain that she recognised him from somewhere, but unable to place him in her memory.

"Unhand her, and I'll let you live." The blonde man said.

"I'll fight you for her." The ruffian decided, and Alyss was surprised when the newcomer agreed. The blonde outlaw drew his sword, and the moment the ruffian's attention was taken, she hitched up her skirts and ran back towards the road as quickly as she could.

Her heart was racing and her throat burned from the cold air as she hurried back the way they had come. More than anything she wanted to get to safety, and she was cursing her stupidity. If she had not left Nottingham then she would not be in this mess. Cursing as she tripped and fell into the ground, she winced and then tried to get up. There was a sharp pain in her right ankle, and she leaned on a tree as she caught her breath back. In horror she looked around and realised she had no idea where she was, and the light was fading quickly.

"No…" She murmured. "no, this… this cannot be…I can't be lost!"

"Are you well my lady?" Alyss looked up a moment later to see a young woman with ginger curls and a brown cloak in front of her.

"I… I am lost." Alyss admitted, tears of frustration and fear in her eyes.

"Where were you headed?"

"Nettleworth." She sighed deeply. "Or I was. I should return to Nottingham."

"Marion!" The women looked back and found the blonde man walking towards them. "I see you found her."

"I should thank you." Alyss said as she realised exactly who had rescued her. "I dread to think…"

"You are safe now." He assured her. "You are welcome to stay with us for the evening. It is not safe to travel through Sherwood alone."

"I cannot." She told them as she realised she had committed yet another crime. If Gisburne knew she had met the wolfs heads then….

"Then allow us to escort you to suitable lodgings my lady." Marion offered.

"No. I… I need to…" Alyss' heart was racing and her breathing was unsteady as she sank to the ground. Everything was just too much and the shock was getting to her.

"It's Alyss, isn't it?" Marion asked, and the noblewoman nodded. "From Nettleworth Manor? I thought I recognised you. Why were you going to Nottingham?"

"I…" Alyss hesitated as she tried to calm down. She fiddled with the hem of her cloak and took a deep breath before sighing. "I am a prisoner there."

"You have escaped?"

"Sort of." She admitted. "I heard that my father was ill and I had to see him one last time."

"Why are you a prisoner?" Robin asked, and Alyss sighed even more.

"My father owes taxes. We sold everything we could, but it was not enough. Gisburne decided that I was the only thing that my father would pay for."

"So he keeps you trapped in Nottingham Castle?" Alyss nodded.

"Nettleworth is the Sheriff's now. If my father dies then De Rainault will take it, and I have broken the agreement just by leaving Nottingham." She wiped a tear away. "I just wanted to see my father one last time."

"Robin, we have a problem." Another man said, and Alyss looked up to find a young man with short hair approaching.

"What is it Much?"

"Gisburne's horse, but no sign of the knight." Alyss cried even more.

"I stole it." She sobbed. Robin ran a hand through his hair as he tried to work out what to do.

"Then it is your choice my lady. We can take you to Nettleworth and keep Gisburne away, or…"

"I should return to Nottingham and plea for mercy." Alyss decided. "My people are at stake, and I cannot have them suffer even more because of me."

"Then we will make sure your father is well cared for." Robin promised.

"You are certain?" Marion asked kindly as she helped Alyss to her feet.

"I am." Alyss sighed. "I can only hope that Guy will forgive me." They headed back towards the road in relative silence, and Alyss hesitated as they saw Gisburne inspecting the tracks surrounding his horse. The knight looked both angry and concerned, and Alyss wondered if he would punish her for what she had done. She could only hope that he would understand why she had acted so foolishly.

"Gisburne, should you be in Sherwood so late in the day?" Robin called out, and Alyss winced as she realised that the knight would not forgive her for interacting with outlaws. After all, it was well known that Hood did not attack women.

"Wolfshead!" The knight hissed venomously as he drew his sword, while Osric looked worried.

"I suggest you leave Gisburne if you don't want an arrow in your neck!"

"We cannot leave until we have found who we are looking for!" Osric called out. "My lady Alyss of Nettleworth came riding through Sherwood, and…"

"I am safe Osric." Alyss called out, while the knight looked even more furious.

"Unhand her Hood!" Guy bellowed.

"Only if you promise that Nettleworth will not suffer for the actions of a daughter worried for her father." There was a moment's silence, and Alyss wondered whether he would agree to it.

"I swear it! Now let her go!" The outlaws were surprised, while Alyss hoped that the knight would keep his word.

"You're sure about this?" Much asked quietly, and Alyss nodded.

"I need my people to be safe. If that means I don't get to see my father again, then it is a sacrifice I have to make." She told him. "Thank you for this."

"You are welcome my lady." Robin told her. Alyss turned to go, then hesitated.

"There is one thing I wish to ask of you though. The agreement needs Gisburne to live too, and I am rather fond of Osric."

"We understand." With that, Alyss limped towards the road, ignoring the pain in her leg and chest, and hoped that Nettleworth would not face any repercussions for her actions.

"Alyss, thank the Lord you're safe…" Osric said as he hurried to her side. "You are unharmed?"

"I hurt my ankle, but that is all." She assured him. Gisburne said nothing, though he was glaring at her. "My lord, I am truly sorry for my actions. I fear I was not thinking straight and acted only with my heart. I can only beg your forgiveness, and I understand if the agreement is forfeit. I merely wished to see my father, but…" She sighed deeply, fresh tears falling down her cheeks. "I was foolish. I throw myself at your mercy."

"Mount up. We should reach Nottingham before it's dark." He said, turning his back on her. Alyss numbly mounted up on a different horse, while Guy reclaimed Fury.

The trio rode back to Nottingham in silence, and Alyss knew she had broken whatever trust Guy had in her. She had no doubt that she would be thrown in the dungeons upon their return, and that she would probably never see Nettleworth again. She cried silently as they rode, wincing in pain as the horse jolted her ankle. Her stomach ached and she wondered briefly if it was her monthly, and sighed as she realised that her actions had cost a high price. She could only hope that the knight would forgive her, and that her father would survive the winter. She had no idea if Robin Hood would keep his word, but she hoped he would. At least Nettleworth would have some form of help, even if it was in the form of outlaws. Sighing as they rode through the castle gate, she went to dismount and winced as dark spots filled her eyes. Leaning on the horse to keep her upright, she turned to follow the soldiers, but took two steps before her strength gave out and her world turned to darkness.